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<title>11 - Chapters 68 - 76</title>
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68.

A true warrior never uses force
with an attitude of pride or anger.
A true victor 
does not pursue vengeance.
A true leader shows humility.

This is the power of modesty.
It's the best way to deal with people.
It's always been an excellent way
to get right with Tao.


69.

There's an old military saying:
"I'd rather face an attack 
than have to make one.
I'd rather retreat a foot 
than try to advance an inch."

That's the secret to moving forward 
while staying put,
preparing for battle 
without revealing your strength.

When you defend yourself 
without any show of force,
you give your opponent 
nothing to fight.

Attacking an enemy 
you've underestimated 
is a costly mistake.
When two forces oppose each other,
the winner is the one most reluctant to fight.


70.

Lao Tzu's advice 
was easy to understand 
and easy to follow.
But nobody understood him 
or did what he suggested.

His words 
stemmed from ancient wisdom,
and his actions were highly disciplined.
People didn't get that,
which is why 
they didn't understand him.
And the less they understood him,
the more meaningful his advice became.

That's why the Masters live simply,
hiding their wisdom deep within themselves.


71.

If you know 
what you don't know, 
you're doing great.
If you don't know 
what you don't know, 
you're sick.

The only way
to get rid of that sickness 
is to be sick of it.

The Masters aren't sick,
because they got sick of being sick.


72.

When you show no fear at all,
the universe gives you something
to really be afraid of.

Don't try to fence people in 
or grind them down.
Just let them be, 
and they'll always be on your side.

The Masters know themselves, 
but they don't reveal themselves.
They love themselves,
but they know 
what their lives are worth.
They let go of all that 
to concentrate on this.


73.

Those who dare to be bold die.
Those who dare to be careful survive.
So--what do you want to do?

Why is life like that, you ask?
I don't know.

This is how Tao works:
It doesn't push itself, 
and it always succeeds.
It acts silently, and it always reacts.
It can't be summoned; 
it comes whenever it's ready.
It can't be rushed; it's always on time.

"Heaven casts a wide net, 
with big holes,"
Lao Tzu used to say, 
"but nothing ever gets by it."


74.

If people's lives suck, 
and they look forward to death,
what good does it do 
to threaten to kill them?

If people are afraid to die, 
and the wicked are condemned to death,
then who would dare to commit evil?

But that doesn't mean you or I 
can just take life and death 
into our own hands.
That'd be like walking up 
to an industrial buzzsaw 
and trying to use it 
without any training.
We'd only end up hurting ourselves.


75.

People starve 
because the government 
taxes them to death.
People rebel 
because the government 
tries to run their lives.
People act like life is meaningless
because the government 
takes everything they have.

People who know how to enjoy life
are wiser than people who value their lives.


76.

A baby's body is soft and gentle.
A corpse is hard and stiff.
Plants and trees are tender 
and full of sap.
Dead leaves are brittle and dry.

If you are rigid and unyielding,
you might as well be dead.
If you are soft and flexible, 
you are truly alive.

Soldiers trained to fight to the death will die.
A tree that cannot bend with the wind 
will snap.

Here's a useful saying:
The harder they come, 
the harder they fall.

Here's another:
The meek shall inherit the earth.


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