29

Those who threaten castration

Cannot succeed.

The world is totally unspoiled by taking it easy.

It cannot be destroyed by the undude.

Trying to steer it, the plane crashes into the mountain,

Working in shifts, the leads will not be promising.

Leads!

Therefore:

Sometimes you roll strikes,

And sometimes you roll gutters.

Sometimes you eat the bear,

And sometimes the bear eats you.

Sometimes you deal with reactionaries,

And sometimes you deal with pacifists.

Sometimes you take any rug in the house,

And sometimes you take a crack on the jaw.

The Stranger has never seen the queen in her damned undies.

But he’s seen something every bit as stupefying—

What’s a hee-ro?

This is our concern.

Tao Te Ching: 29

Those who want to rule the world by force,

Will surely fail.

The natural way of things should not be tampered with.

For when one tries to divert it, one destroys it,

And when one tries to grip it, one fumbles it.

Sometimes things move forward,

Sometimes they dally behind,

Sometimes they heat up,

Sometimes they grow cold,

Sometimes they strengthen,

Sometimes they weaken,

Sometimes they overcome,

Sometimes they succumb.

Therefore the sage is skeptical of extremes,

And opposed to extravagant ideals.

When arrogance is avoided,

Achievements come naturally, easily, and each in their own time.