Line by Line - Verse 67, Line 9

Now-a-days they give up gentleness and are all for being bold;
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

Nowadays men shun mercy, but try to be brave;
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Now if one has courage but discards compassion
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

But these days,
I see everyone trying to act courageous
without any trace of compassion.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

John Lash sums up this line well.

Bravery without compassion is mere ferocity. Such bravery is the trait of a wild beast and is the negation of human nature.

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