Line by Line - Verse 72, Line 6

loves, but does not (appear to set a) value on, himself.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

Has self-respect but is not arrogant.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Respect themselves but do not praise themselves
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

They love themselves,
but they know what their lives are worth.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

Derek Lin makes much the same point as my last entry, but me thinks he does it far more eloquently!

If we possess the clarity of self-knowledge, we do not need to put ourselves on a pedestal and seek external validation. If we possess the confidence of self-respect, we do not need to praise ourselves or highlight our own achievements.

To view the Index page for this series to see what you may have missed or would like to read again, go here.