Wen Tzu - Verse 155, Part II

from Verse One Hundred Fifty-Five

Words and actions are opposed to each other, feelings and appearances contradict each other.

~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~

One of the chief problems with attempting to utilize external standards and codes is that it tends to cause us to become estranged from ourselves. We encounter a situation and, instead of moving effortlessly with it, we have to stop to try to ascertain what is proper or moral based on societal expectations. As the previous passage from this verse indicates, we end up needing to calculate something like a cost-benefit analysis.

So, we think one thing in our hearts, but end up doing something totally different. We feel one thing in the core of our being, but we wear a mask on the outside. While we start out being authentic, we finish the day be inauthentic.

What a way to live (not)!

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