Twenty-Four

He who stands on tiptoe is not steady.

He who strides cannot maintain the pace.

He who makes a show is not enlightened.

He who is self-righteous is not respected.

He who boasts achieves nothing.

He who brags will not endure.

According to the followers of the Tao, "These are extra food

and unnecessary luggage."

They do not bring happiness.

Therefore followers of the Tao avoid them.

This is one of the more straightforward chapters I've read from the Tao Te Ching so far, written with simple imagery that makes sense on the first read through and concepts that I have encountered regularly in my own life (something I can't say about all the other passages). This chapter stood out because although it takes a tone that I can identify from a Western perspective, it's message is distinctly eastern and takes a stance that is directly opposed to many of the notions that I find typical of modern western culture: boasting, self-righteousness, elitism, greed, they're commonly considered normal, sometimes even desirable. Even the concrete subjects like extra food and unnecessary luggage that Lao Tsu describes as obviously undesirable are things many members of our society want.

I feel that the value of modesty is underappreciated in our culture.