Wen Tzu - Verse 149, Part I

from Verse One Hundred Forty-Nine

When affairs are complicated, they are hard to manage. When laws are harsh, they are hard to administer. When demands are many, they are hard to satisfy.

~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~

Anytime any of us learns a new skill or craft, we first start by learning the most basic elements. We practice the fundamental principles or steps until we understand them and then we move on to more advanced elements.

For example, let's say a person wants to learn to play the game of tennis. Before competing in a competitive match, the novice would need to understand the rules of the game. If the teacher read the entire rulebook to the student once and then sent them out on the court, the student would quickly become hopelessly confused.

In school, students begin by learning simple arithmetic: adding and subtracting whole numbers. As the student becomes more proficient, multiplication, division and fractions are introduced. In time, complicated formulas and expressions are added to the mix.

Who would try to teach a five year old advanced trigonometry without first teaching the basic laws of arithmetic?

This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.