Line by Line - Verse 79, Lines 3-4

Therefore (to guard against this), the sage keeps the left-hand portion of the record of the engagement, and does not insist on the (speedy) fulfillment of it by the other party.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

Therefore the sage keeps his half of the bargain
But does not exact his due.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Therefore the sage holds the left part of the contract
But does not demand payment from the other person
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

The Masters care
about what they owe other people,
not what other people owe them.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

One of the things I continually try to teach myself is that I don't need to win every argument. The win/lose mentality isn't the best way to relate to others because it breeds resentment from all sides. The individual who wins the argument is resentful that their thinking was questioned and the individual who loses the argument is resentful of the pomposity of the winner.

From the standpoint of organizational dynamics, I have come to be a strong proponent of the consensus model. Unfortunately, I don't apply this model to my personal relationships as much as I know I should.

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