Line by Line - Verse 79, Lines 5-6

(So), he who has the attributes (of the Tao) regards (only) the conditions of the engagement, while he who has not those attributes regards only the conditions favorable to himself.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

A man of Virtue performs his part,
But a man without Virtue requires others to fulfill their obligations.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Those who have virtue hold the contract
Those without virtue hold the collections
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

People who are in touch with Tao
do their duty.
People who aren't
try to force others into submission.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

I know that I shouldn't be as argumentative as I am. But what is worse is that I cringe when I'm in the company of other people who tend to be argumentative!

I expect others to be more civil while justifying my own incivility.

I'm not alone in this regard. Most people I know criticize others for faults they share in common. We each tend to expect others to toe the line, but we allow ourselves the widest berth possible.

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