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Unimportant (Tao Te Ching) Chapter 67 - a commentary

All the world says,
"I am important;I am separate from all the world.
I am important because I am separate,
Were I the same, I could never be important.

"Yet here are three treasures
That I cherish and commend to you:
The first is compassion,
By which one finds courage.
The second is restraint,
By which one finds strength.
And the third is unimportance,
By which one finds influence.

Those who are fearless, but without compassion,
Powerful, but without restraint,
Or influential, yet important,
Cannot endure.

ooooOOOOoooo

What does this chapter mean?

Does it mean one is important because one is not part of the herd? That one is not part of the "rat race"? Being separate provides the independent spirit, and that perhaps is important NOT to the world but to oneself. The moment you want to be recognized as being an important person, you have lost that separateness. You are nothing but part of the herd, and it becomes a self-aggrandisement and delusion.

Three key attributes - compassion, restraint and being unimportance (humility?) makes an "important" person. Learning to be compassionate to others, not because one has it all, but because one wants to help others is surely the mark of a man worthy of respect.

Being restraint, rather than fight back for revenge is a demonstration of self-managed power. One uses the power of the other to destroy the enemy (if ever there is one). Being restraint is not weak. On the contrary, one is strong in self-control. Few have this nature of restraint.

The desire of wanting to be "unimportant" is the trait of humility. The moment you search for limelight, you have lost the original purpose of your desire - to do something great. Now you want to be great!

The lesson is clear - fearless, powerful and influential people without compassion, restraint and humility will not endure. History has demonstrated this countless times.

So be compassionate, restraint and be humble... and you will find courage, strength and influence.

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