Wen Tzu - Verse 176, Part II

from Verse One Hundred Seventy-Six

The governments of latter-day society have not stored up the necessities of life; they have diluted the purity of the world, destroyed the simplicity of the world, and made the people confused and hungry, turning clarity into murkiness. Life is volatile, and everyone is striving madly. Uprightness and trust have fallen apart, people have lost their essential nature; laws and justice are at odds, actions are contrary to what is beneficial.

~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~

If Lao Tzu was penning these words today, no philosopher would bat an eye. What's amazing is that -- despite the fact this seems to define modern society -- the world the Taoist sage is describing took place thousands of years ago during China's Warring States period.

If the problems of antiquity regarding government so closely mirror the same problems we wrestle with today, maybe the problem is with government itself!! As a student of the political sciences, this is quite a difficult idea for me to contemplate, but that is precisely what I think Lao Tzu suggests.

I think it borders on utopian-like thinking to believe humankind will ever construct a perfect state. A perfect state is an impossibility if it's made up of imperfect people!! If none of us seems capable of reigning in our own desires and disharmony, why would we think our species could accomplish such in its collective form?

It seems that the more I read and ponder of the words and lessons of Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu, the more I seem to lean toward the concepts of libertarianism and humanitarian anarchism.

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

Wen Tzu - Verse 176, Part I

from Verse One Hundred Seventy-Six

To act in accord with essence is called the Way; to attain that natural essence is called virtue. After essence is lost, humanity and justice are valued; after humanity and justice are defined, virtue is ignored. When pure simplicity disappears, manners and music become ornate; when right and wrong take shape, the common people are blinded. When pearls and jade are valued, the whole world competes for them.

~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~

To get at the heart of this passage, let's first take a look at the word essence.

When we speak of essence, we're talking about the essential, inherent and core aspects of an entity (or idea). From Lao Tzu's perspective, the crucial part of who and what we are is pure. We move gracefully with life and easily float with the energy flow. By and large, this is how young children interact with the world.

The socialization process, however, robs us of our essential nature. We're taught rules, laws, mores, manners and proper etiquette. Life becomes a series of calculations; some are based on how much we think we can get away with and others are based more on repressing our wants and desires.

For me, this gets to the heart of the philosophies of Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu as well. It's at that moment in our lives when we start judging all thoughts, actions and deeds by external criteria that we go astray. It's when we consciously have to think everything through that we have cast off our essential nature.

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

Countdown to What?

It seems that some people of every generation think that life, as we know it, will end soon...very soon. You often see them standing on street corners proclaiming the end of days is near. While I'm sure that there are such folks in all religions, there seems to be a quite a few of these doomsayers who are Christians and there are a plethora of websites that will "prove" to you that they "know" what they're talking about!

Thus far, every prediction of the end of days at a specific time has been wrong. We're still here. Of course, this singular fact doesn't dissuade a new breed of doomsayers. I suppose such folks will always be with us and, eventually, if humanity meets its end, one of them will luck out to get the date right. It won't do them much good, though, because you can't be featured in a history book when it's the end of history.

I don't know about you, but I feel sorry for people whose chief focus in life is consumed by thoughts of the end of existence for all. If you ponder it for a moment, that's really morose. What's more is that it would seem they don't know how really to live.

If any such people happen by this blog, I have a video treat for you (though I'm sure you won't enjoy it since joy obviously isn't high on your list). It's from the glam rock band, Europe. Check out the funky hairdos!

Threshold of Pain

I've often been told that one of the reasons anxiety is such a waste of energy is that it can be next too impossible to predict what may or may not happen. An individual may work themselves into a tizzy for no reason at all.

It's a good thing that I kept my worries in check in anticipation of today's doctor visit. To be certain, I was a tad anxious to find out where I stand, but I didn't work myself into my usual fervor.

The good news is that surgery is not imminent, if I don't want it to be. The bad news is that my hip is not in good shape. As I thought, it has deteriorated significantly, but the initial diagnosis of avascular necrosis has been removed from the equation. So, what it comes down to is this: If I want to have a hip replacement now, I've met the medical threshold to have it approved. If I want to wait, that's okay too because, aside from a severe fall or other type of serious injury, general life is not going to injure it to the point of no return.

Put another way, I can keep on going as I have as long as I can live with the pain. When the pain becomes too great, all I have to do is give them a call and, within about 6 weeks, I can have my hip replaced.

Since I've lived with chronic pain all my life, my current thinking is to try to forgo surgery for another 5 to 10 years. If I can make it that long, I stand a much better chance of only needing one hip replacement surgery. If I decided to go the surgery route now, there's an even chance, due to my age, that I might need two such surgeries.

We also talked a bit about my bum right shoulder...well, hypothetically speaking. Because it doesn't include a rotor cuff or tendon tear (just ligament damage), surgery probably wouldn't be in the offing. If I limit use of it and, possibly, undergo physical therapy, there's an even chance it will heal on its own.

On the other hand, the doctor warned me that it might not get better and the searing pain may become permanent. Oh joy! So, I've decided to try to work on this issue with my primary care physician and, if it doesn't respond to treatment, then I guess I'll go back to Centralia for more extensive tests.

All in all, the day went much better than my wife and I expected. It's not imperative that I go under the knife soon. It's basically up to me to decide when I can't take the pain and instability any longer.

For now, I can take it!

168 - Not for Sale

Nowadays, many people regard knowledge as a mere commodity to be packaged, marketed, and sold. Their interest is not in benefit for others' souls but their own pocketbooks. For example, one contemporary master requires a thousand ounces of gold before he will teach a single technique. We live in a world where the selfless sharing of knowledge is no longer a virtue.
~ from 365 Tao: Daily Meditations, Entry 168 ~

Often, when surfing around the internet, I find blogs and websites by self-proclaimed Life Coaches. What in the heck is a Life Coach? Do they sit on the sidelines while you go about your life and do cheers? Do they call timeout when your life is going rough and send in a secret play?

Look, as I've written many times before, there's nothing wrong with seeking guidance from others from time to time. If you only keep your own counsel and don't try to learn from other people's successes and failures, you're going to spend most of your life trying to reinvent the wheel.

But what qualifies a person to coach YOUR life? Such an individual has never spent one millisecond inside your head or heart and they've never seen the world through your eyes. The only consciousness they know is their own. So, about all they can really teach you is how to live a life like their life, not YOURS.

A good many of these self-proclaimed Life Coaches charge a pretty penny for their services. While others don't charge a fee, I suppose their chief motivations are that it provides them with a certain degree of status and it makes them feel powerful and/or influential.

Look at me, they proclaim. I'm the only guy or gal who can teach people how to be really happy or filthy rich or unabashedly successful or blah blah blah.

I am most certainly NOT a life coach. If you have a question you'd like to ask me or you're looking for some advice, I'll be happy to share with you what I think. Don't put much weight on what I have to say though because, like you, I'm just a simple man muddling my way through life as best I can.

Besides, what has worked for me may be an unmitigated disaster for you. Likewise, what doesn't work at all for me may be overwhelmingly successful for you.

At the end of the day, we each need people who love, support and respect us, but neither you nor I needs a coach...other than ourselves.

I'm Off to See the Wizard

About the time this gets posted, I'll be in the lovely town of Centralia, WA for my first visit to my new orthopedic surgeon. As is not atypical, I'm a bit anxious to see where I stand. I expect that, at some point, I'm going to have to make a decision re surgery for my ailing hip, my bum shoulder or both.

Of course, as this is my first of many visits, I understand that I may not learn as much today as I might hope. Since I will need to make another trip soon specifically to deal with the shoulder -- Medicaid rules stipulate that only one part of the body can be dealt with at an initial consultation -- there's a good chance that I won't be in the position yet to make an informed choice.

I'll let you know if anything definitive comes out of today's appointment.

Wen Tzu - Verse 175, Part II

from Verse One Hundred Seventy-Five

The reason people lose their lands, die at others' hands, and become a laughingstock to the world, always turns out to be greed. In you know that a fan in winter and a leather coat in summer are of no use to you, everything will turn into dust and dirt. So, if you use hot water to stop a boiling pot, it will only boil all the more; those who know the root of the matter simply take the fire away.

~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~

If desire is mucking up your life -- always pushing you to want more of this and more of that -- how does one pull desire off the table? A lot of people would say that, if you don't want desire in your driver's seat, then you should simply remove it.

But there's an inherent problem with this apparent straightforward solution. As Lao Tzu points out above, it would be like trying to cool a boiling pot with boiling water. You see, if we desire to remove desire, the impetus is the same thing as the impediment. We will merely replace one desire for another.

When we walk in step with the Way, desire evaporates. It's not a conscious process; it just happens naturally and organically.

Of course, it all looks so easy in type -- It's quite another thing truly to live it.

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

Wen Tzu - Verse 175, Part I

from Verse One Hundred Seventy-Five

Those who deliberately practice etiquette polish human nature and straighten out their feelings: their eyes may be desirous of something, but they are restrained by measures; their hearts may be fond of something, but they are regulated by etiquette. Their behavior is restrained and regulated, humble and subservient; fat meat they do not eat, and clear wine they do not drink. Outwardly constraining their appearance, inwardly worrying about their virtues, they clamp down on the harmony of yin and yang, and place stress on their feelings of life itself. Therefore they are sad people all their lives.

~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~

The chief point I think Lao Tzu is making is that any being that stands against itself is doomed to a life of misery.

This certainly is not to suggest that we should lead willy nilly lives. We can't simply take whatever we want whenever we want in the kind quantity we want. To do so would create a world of great disharmony.

So, if we are urged not to repress our true feelings, yet we concurrently can't take everything we desire, where does that leave us? For Lao Tzu, the answer is that our focus is in the wrong place; rather than try to hold our desires back, we need to remove our desires from the equation.

If desire doesn't rule our lives, we have no need to put on airs. If we only take what the situation offers, there is no need to restrain ourselves. If we follow the ways of Tao, there is no need to regulate ourselves.

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

Loco Motion?

Zeno argues against motion by saying that if anything moves, then it must either move in the place where it is or in the place where it is not. Given that the latter is impossible because no thing can be or be acted upon at the place where it is not, a thing must be at the place at which it is. Therefore, things are at rest and motion is an illusion.

~ The Book of Dead Philosophers by Simon Critchley ~

Well, look here. As promised, a snippet from the book I'm currently reading. (I even progressed to chapter 2 this afternoon. Amazing, isn't it?)

I have no astute commentary to add at this time. I find this perspective interesting and I need some time to ponder it. While I'm thinking it over, what say you?

Wen Tzu - Verse 174, Part VI

from Verse One Hundred Seventy-Four

Now if you have the unworthy rule over the good, then even strict penalties cannot prevent their treachery. The small cannot regulate the great, the weak cannot employ the strong. This is the nature of the universe. So sages promote the wise to get things done, while unworthy rulers promote their own associates: observe whom they promote, and it will be clear whether there is going to be order or disorder; examine their associations, and you can tell who is wise and who is unworthy.

~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~

Too often, I think most people become enamored with the glossy surface of life. All attention is focused on the top layer, the superficial sheen, and little notice is taken of what lies beneath. So books are judged solely by their covers, not their content.

We see this at work in the field of politics. In the US, the landscape has been flooded with "front groups", groups that present a specific public face, but tend to have a far different agenda than what they promote.

For example, we might see a TV ad from a group that states it advocates the reasonable use of petrochemicals. Majestic music and pictures of young fawns frolicking in the woods serve as a backdrop for what appears to be a reasonable discussion of the pros of using such chemicals to benefit the lives of many.

When the average person views the ad, they nod in silent agreement. Hey, lots of people from scientists, researchers and educators believe that petrochemicals enhance life, so I guess it can't be as bad as the doomsayers say.

Of course, what the group running the ad doesn't mention is that it is funded by Petrochemists of America! Ya know, folks with a strong vested interest in the widespread use of petrochemicals! But few people will dig that deep and so they will fail to see the connection and/or understand how the connection impacts the message.

Another great example of this tack involves the administration of President Barack Obama. On the campaign trail, he spoke of hope and reigning in corporate power. His rhetoric motivated many disaffected citizens to get involved. And his charge to make the changes needed to reinvent America swept him into office.

Yet, even before he took the oath of office, he began to build a cabinet that was made up of the very people who have brought our nation to its economic knees! He named lobbyists and corporate bigwigs to most of the top posts. It has been these individuals that have pushed through the biggest taxpayer-funded giveaways in our nation's history!

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

114 - No God

There is no god in the sense of a cosmic father or mother who will provide all things to their children. Nor is there some heavenly bureaucracy to petition. These models are not descriptions of a divine order, but are projections from archetypal templates. If we believe in the divine as cosmic family, we relegate ourselves to perpetual adolescence. If we regard the divine as supreme government, we are forever victims of unfaithful officialdom. Yet it does not work for us to totally abandon faith...

~ from 365 Tao: Daily Meditations, Entry 114 ~

When it comes right down to it, whatever you or I believe is based on faith. It doesn't matter what religious or philosophic tradition you favor and it makes no difference if you are an agnostic or atheist. Since none of us KNOWS what life is, where we came from and where we're going, faith in some sort of conceptual framework is all we have.

And I have faith that you will agree!! :-D

On My Bookshelf

Reading seems to be a passion in my family. My late mother was known to read several books simultaneously. My dad is a voracious reader, typically polishing off a book every few days. My wife carries books around almost everywhere she goes; you never know when you can sneak in a page or two. And my brother is an avid book reader too.

As with so many other facets of my life, I tend to run either hot or cold. There are times when I can rival my wife, dad and brother. I sometimes will read for hours on end, stopping every now and then only to eat, sleep or relieve myself. However, a good deal of the time, I read very little in print -- except for a few verses or passages for the various series featured here. Most of my reading during these periods comes from blogs and websites.

Part of the reason for this is that, since I live in a rural area and our family doesn't have much space in the budget for books, a good deal of the books I read come from our regional library system. Unfortunately, being out in the boondocks typically means I must wait a week or more for books I've ordered to arrive.

It's not uncommon for me to read something on the web that piques my interest. I do a bit of research and discover that our library system has a book or two that deals with the subject matter. I eagerly put in a request for one or more of the books, but, by the time the book[s] arrive, I've become passionately interested in something else!!

Heck, if truth be known, I'd guess that anywhere between one-third to one-half of the books I check out are never read! Oh, I might crack one open once or twice, but it gets returned without me reading as much as a chapter.

For example, about 3 weeks ago (I recently renewed it for another 3 weeks), I checked out The Book of Dead Philosophers by Simon Critchley. Upon reading the book jacket and the introduction, I thought to myself, "Ooh, this looks like a great book!" Yet, despite my obvious interest, I'm only in the middle of Chapter 1. At the rate I'm going, I would need to have the book in my possession for 6 months or more before I finish reading it!! (I do plan to feature a post or two about some of the scant information I've read thus far.)

With expected surgery looming on the horizon, I anticipate that I won't be able to spend ANY time on the computer/internet during the initial phase of my recovery. Since I may be bedridden for awhile, I'm going to need to do something to keep my mind engaged...something like read a few books!!

So, in no particular order, here are some of the volumes that have been gathering dust on my bookshelf waiting to be read.

• Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast: The Evolutionary Origins of Belief -- Lewis Wolpert
• Soldiers Falling Into Camp -- R. Kammen, F. Lefthand & J. Marshall
• The Day the World Ended at Little Bighorn: A Lakota History -- Joseph M. Marshall III
• The Evolution of God -- Robert Wright
• Do Nothing and Do Everything: An Illustrated New Taoism -- Qiguang Zhao

Add to these books the fact I plan to reread the Chuang Tzu in preparation for the next series and you can see I have a lot of books waiting for me.

Of course, I could simply lay around eating potato chips and watch mindless hours of soap operas, Oprah and Dr. Phil... :-D

Wen Tzu - Verse 174, Part V

from Verse One Hundred Seventy-Four

Those who keep their jobs and do not quit; who do not compromise in matters of justice, who do not try to escape when they see difficulty, and do not try to grab an advantage when they see it, are exceptional people.

~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~

Really lofty standards, aren't they?

However, that is indeed the standard of being exceptional -- someone who rises above the morass.

It should be noted that, unlike many religions, Lao Tzu doesn't provide us with a rulebook for the precise scheme to become exceptional. He understood that external morals and mores often create the very thing they wish to counter.

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

Wen Tzu - Verse 174, Part IV

from Verse One Hundred Seventy-Four

It is the Way of the universe to turn back when it has come to an extreme; increase leads to decrease.

~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~

When the winds blow, the rain falls incessantly, the storm batters, or the fire burns, it is not long before the wind becomes a light breeze, the sun comes out, the clouds part or the flame dies. No matter what the weather dishes out, the extremes never last very long.

The same can be said of people and the situations of our lives.

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

Gifts

One of the points that we've been hearing a lot as we explore the words and thoughts of Lao Tzu is that we need to stay true to our internal nature. But what is a person's internal nature? One of the aspects of it is the gifts we are each bestowed with.

No matter who or what you are, you have gifts -- intrinsic skills and abilities -- that can enrich your own life as well as the community, in general. Some people are born with an innate athletic prowess. Others are natural nurturers. Some folks are blessed with the eye and insight for beautiful works of art. Still others -- people like me -- possess the gift for writing.

Even those born with severe physical deformities and/or developmental disabilities have intrinsic gifts to share too. It could be a "never say die" attitude or a bubbly smile that lights up every room.

When people become depressed and despondent, they tend to believe they have no worth and nothing to give the world. In essence, they hide their natural gifts, both from themselves and others. Unfortunately, some bury them so deep within their suffering and misery, that they never again see the light of day.

On the other hand, there are those who think far too much of their gifts. They parade them around like trophies and will gladly tell anyone within earshot how easily they can accomplish this or that with little genuine effort.

If any of us hope to get right with our internal nature, one of the first steps is to recognize the special gifts that have been bestowed upon us. We need to insure that we use these gifts to benefit the harmonious and creative flow of the universe. More importantly, it's not enough to rest on our laurels; a gift that is not developed to its fullest extent is a gift indeed wasted!

Wen Tzu - Verse 174, Part III

from Verse One Hundred Seventy-Four

When the rulers are wise, they guide and judge fairly; wise and good people are in office, skilled and capable people are at work. Wealth is distributed downward, and all the people are aware of their blessings. When they degenerate, cliques and factions each promote their cronies, discarding public interest for private.

~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~

Here in America, the two major political parties -- the Democrats and Republicans -- spend most of their time casting aspersions at each other as well as trying to convince the voting public that the OTHER party is to blame for the mess we find ourselves in. However, as a popular saying goes: It takes two to tango. Both parties often are guilty of the same shenanigans!

A grand example of these shenanigans is through a process called gerrymandering. As the population changes each decade with the census, representative districts are redrawn to better reflect the shifts in population. Whichever party holds the majority in Congress tries to pull out all the stops to insure said lines are drawn so that their candidates benefit the most.

It's quite interesting to watch this spectacle. The minority party jumps around hooting and hollering. They complain far and wide that the game is rigged and that our democratic way of life will be forever tarnished. They decry the backroom deals and underhanded manipulation. They swear that, if they were in the majority, they would not take such unfair advantage of the situation.

Of course, when the minority party becomes the majority party, all bets are off and they behave in the exact same manner they earlier decried!! Since the two parties go back and forth between the roles of majority and minority, each party continually tries to stick it to the other.

Both would do well to heed Lao Tzu's words, but I ain't gonna hold my breath.

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

Wen Tzu - Verse 174, Part II

from Verse One Hundred Seventy-Four

When writing was invented, it was employed to manage affairs; fools could use it so as not to forget things, and the wise could use it to record events. When it became degenerate, it made treacherous falsehoods that could free the guilty and kill the innocent.

~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~

As a wordsmith, it should surprise no one that I write words, think words, speak words and even spend an inordinate amount of time playing word games. It's not a stretch at all to say that words are my life!! I'd be completely lost without them.

But as much as I love words, I readily acknowledge that they can be utilized for good or evil. In the hands of a capable person, as Lao Tzu notes above, they can save lives or bring death. I also know that the old adage -- Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me -- sadly is wrong. Words and the intent behind them can subject others, directly or indirectly, to excruciating pain.

Even in the best of situations, words still are problematic. While accepted definitions and parameters exist, each person can understand a word in a slightly different way. Therefore, a simple sentence like "Dick knows Jane" can be interpreted to mean a wide variety of things (e.g., Do you mean "knows" in the biblical sense?)

Yet, for all their obvious pitfalls, words make complex communication possible. They allow a simple Taoist like me to ramble all over the place.

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

Wen Tzu - Verse 174, Part I

from Verse One Hundred Seventy-Four

Sage kings of ancient times derived images from heaven above, derived measurements from earth below, and derived laws from humanity in between. Harmonizing yin and yang energies to attune to the structure of the four seasons, they observed the lay of the land, its moisture, fertility, and elevation, in order to set up enterprises that would produce goods and get rid of the problems of hunger and cold and avoid the calamities of illness and disease.

~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~

Upon reading this passage, it made me think of all the American cropland -- particularly in California and parts of Texas -- that really isn't located in the best locales. In order to support the vast farms in a somewhat dry area, billions upon billions of gallons of water must be diverted from faraway rivers and streams.

And what has this strategy wrought? Water tables are declining at alarming rates and, in some areas, the situation is becoming critical. At the rate of transfer, some researchers now say it may take decades, if ever, for these areas to return to a semblance of normality.

Yet, for all the dire warnings, we keep pumping the water away from its source! And why do we fail to take heed of such a serious situation? Money!! The folks growing the crops need the diverted water to survive financially and the American consumer needs it just as much, lest we not have grains and produce on our tables at somewhat reasonable prices.

We have set up a farm system that, by and large, is non-sustainable. Unfortunately, it has become so ingrained in the fabric of our economic structure that it won't be easy to change and, at present, there isn't even the political will to do so.

We would have been much better off today if past leaders had attuned the structure of our agricultural system to the four seasons.

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

Wen Tzu - Verse 173

from Verse One Hundred Seventy-Three

So it is that when people are pressed by difficulties, then they seek means of coping with them; it is because of their troubles that they take precautions. In each case they use their knowledge to get rid of what they consider harmful and take to what they consider advantageous.

~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~

When I was growing up my best friend, Greg, and I liked to build models. We went about it in different ways. Greg followed the instructions and painstakingly secured every little piece into its proper place. He then took the same care in painting his masterpiece. When finished, his little plastic model often looked exactly like the real thing...except it was way, way too small!! :-D

I have never been nimble with my hands. Precise work with my fingers almost always ends up with huge amounts of frustration and a few profanities laced in for good measure. Unlike Greg, I could never make heads nor tails out of the instructions and so I tended to cast them aside. Whenever I finished MY model projects, there were always a few pieces left over and my little car or plane or whatever it was looked a bit askew. Needless to say, I painted them like I built them and, even though we often built the same models, mine never looked as neat and tidy as his.

Had I been a tad bit more disciplined in my craft work -- like my buddy -- I wouldn't have built such flawed creations. The wheels would have worked as intended or the boat would have been able to stay afloat. In my own way, I sought to cast off what I deemed to be unimportant and it only dawned on me, once the project was finished, how important to the integrity of the model that the cast off pieces represented.

And so it is with our lives, in general. Too often, we create the framework of our own misery and troubles by casting aside the integral parts of life. What we may consider harmful or advantageous at one moment may be just the opposite in the next.

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

Wen Tzu - Verse 172, Part II

from Verse One Hundred Seventy-Two

What eliminates inherent virtue is self-consciousness; what shrinks essential nature is cutting off its living creativity. If people are complete, they make certain of the meanings of death and life, and comprehend the patterns of glory and ignominy. Even if the whole world praises them, that does not give them added encouragement; and even if the whole world repudiates them, that does not inhibit them. They have attained the key of the ultimate Way.

~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~

Regardless of one's age, we each have moments when we're overly self-conscious. We feel like everyone in the world is watching our every move and they are saying to themselves, "What a blockhead!"

I can remember countless times throughout my life when I have been acutely self-conscious, but, like most people I know, the worst of it came during early adolescence. I wanted to fit in so badly and yet, due to my social awkwardness, I never had a chance to be part of the "in crowd" or, for that matter, ANY crowd!

I would measure my thoughts, deeds and actions by the external mores of my classmates. I tried to dress, talk and be like them. I could never pull it off successfully because it went against my internal nature. So, a rather awkward kid made sure he was even more awkward and the internal pressure I applied to my every movement made me more painfully aware how out of step I was with my contemporaries.

I remained a social outcast until my senior year of high school. It was at that point that I said, "Screw it" and, instead of trying to be something I am not, I decided to be myself: weirdness, warts and all. When I quit trying to put on airs, I became more authentic and people began to respond positively to the real me. I never made it into the chic social circles, but I was accepted by all groups as a rather unique and funny fellow.

For me, this is the point that Lao Tzu is driving at in the passage above.

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