Bit by Bit - Chapter 10, Part 7

Trey Smith

Cut off sageliness, cast away wisdom, and then the great thieves will cease. Break the jades, crush the pearls, and petty thieves will no longer rise up. Burn the tallies, shatter the seals, and the people will be simple and guileless. Hack up the bushels, snap the balances in two, and the people will no longer wrangle. Destroy and wipe out the laws that the sage has made for the world, and at last you will find you can reason with the people.
~ Burton Watson translation ~

The problem with rules is that they are made to be broken. As soon as a line is drawn in the sand, people will start trying to figure out ways to cross it without being caught or held accountable.

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