30

Achievers are well-advised not to use aggression,

For aggression does not remain unchecked.

Tumbleweeds tumble across lines in the sand.

Doesn’t anybody give a shit about the rules?

Well, no. Not exactly.

Across this line you do not!

It is only when aggression must not stand,

That the Dude confronts the undude,

Rights the wrongs with dude-jitsu,

And assures us that it will be no problem.

The Dude seeks only compensation—

Succeeding through slack,

Smoking and sympathizing here,

Trying to get out of things cheap,

He wins by being a loser.

Though Walter may bring about a more dramatic victory,

He will end up trading good buddies for lines in the sand.

Idealism is very undude.

It fucks everything up!

Tao Te Ching: 30

In knowing and teaching the ways of Tao,

The sage eschews the use of force,

For he knows it will only incur retaliation.

Where armies encamp, only thorny bushes will grow.

Great wars are followed by famine.

Thus, when fighting cannot be avoided,

The sage does only what is necessary,

And halts immediately thereafter.

He does not seek power for its own sake,

He achieves but is not arrogant,

He is resolute but not proud,

He fights only with reluctance,

He overcomes without dominating his opponent.

Though force may bring about a quicker triumph,

It will also sow the seeds of disaster.

Force runs contrary to Tao,

And so culminates in catastrophe.