Verse Thirty-three

One who knows others is intelligent. One who knows himself is enlightened.

- Establishing relationships is healthy but self-awareness is healthier.
- The weakest link in a network of people is the one who doesn't know himself well.

Application: I'm afraid I may know myself better than I know others. Knowing myself and observing others has helped me understand others indirectly.

One who conquers others is strong. One who conquers himself is all-powerful.

- Enemies in person are weaker than enemies of the mind
- Finding mental peace is more difficult than finding international peace

Application: I agree that what makes me weak is what is in my head. I believe all international strife is caused by a few powerful people who do not have mental peace. If only they would...

One who approaches life with full force surely gets something. One who remains content where he is surely gets everything.

- A narrow focus yields small rewards
- A wider focus yields greater rewards
- In order to recieve, one must be passive

Application: This year I've often found myself in situations where my focus is very narrow and I forget the big picture. The results were just like this part of verse 33--small rewards. My problem is forgetting the bigger picture, the wider focus. Only when I'm content do I see the big picture. In times of stress, I cannot keep it well. This is what I must work on.

One who gives himself to his position surely lives long. One who gives himself to Tao surely lives forever.

- An individual goal lasts shorter than a unifying goal
- Serving unity gets one further than serving individuals

Application: During the past few years, I have been giving myself to my position as a teacher. My desire is to give myself to "Tao," but my fear of letting go of my position prevents me from doing so. I'm currently trying to find a synthesis of the two. I've had little or no success.