Original Text
When the people are not afraid of the ruler's power, then great turmoil is about to come. Do not oppress the people so they cannot live in peace, do not exploit them so they have no means of livelihood. Only by not oppressing the people will they not detest the ruler. Therefore, the wise person not only has self-knowledge but also does not self-display; has self-love but does not exalt themselves. So they discard the latter and hold to the former.
Guide
After describing his political philosophy and ideals, Laozi issues a series of warnings to rulers. This chapter warns rulers to recognize the power of the people and not act recklessly. Oppressing the people only provokes their anger and brings about one's own destruction.Analysis
The key point of this chapter is the two phrases: "know yourself but do not show off, love yourself but do not consider yourself noble." People should understand and cherish their own lives, but not boast about themselves or think they are superior.
Laozi said, "When the people no longer fear the ruler's authority, then the ruler faces great peril." The first "authority" refers to the ruler's power and oppressive policies; the second "peril" refers to the threat the ruler encounters. Laozi believed that if the people cease to fear the ruler's authority, then disaster looms for the ruler. Why is this so? Because the ruler serves as a model for the people; if the ruler is extravagant, indulgent, and behaves improperly, it will inevitably incite various desires among the people, who will then use every means to pursue personal gain to satisfy those desires. Consequently, it becomes natural for the people to no longer fear the ruler's authority, and the inevitable result is that the ruler's position is threatened—this is the last thing the ruler wishes to see.
"Do not oppress their dwelling, do not press their livelihood." "Oppress" means to arbitrarily and recklessly invade and disturb to the point of causing unease, distress, and fear. "Livelihood" refers to the realm of growth. In this sentence, addressing the threat to the ruler's position, Laozi issues his sternest warning to the ruler, urging him to act with caution and cease abusing his power. Laozi believes that the people take "livelihood" as their foundation; if they cannot even maintain the most basic means of survival, what fear do they have of harsh governance and authority? Therefore, once the people are desperate for food and have no stable dwelling, they will stir up trouble and rebel, making social upheaval inevitable.
“Only by not being weary of life, can one avoid being wearied by life.” These two sentences are connected to the preceding ones, clearly omitting a transitional logical link; their complete form should be: “Therefore, one is wearied by life because of being weary of it; only by not being weary of life, can one avoid being wearied by life.”
Therefore the sage knows himself but does not show himself, loves himself but does not exalt himself. Thus he discards the one and takes the other. Self-knowledge stands opposite to self-deception; it is an absolute state of knowing. If a person commits evil, he can deceive others but cannot fool himself. Hence, the term "knowing" here carries the connotation of innate conscience. When people try to find reasonable justifications for their evil deeds, they are essentially attempting to gain their conscience's approval for those wrongs, yet this is absolutely impossible, for all they can achieve is to extinguish their own conscience. Thus, self-knowledge is the recognition of one's own conscience and moral sense. Self-display refers to views and concepts that take only personal interests as the starting point, which in fact means having only oneself in mind without others or the world. Self-love is the result of self-knowledge, the recognition and affection for one's innate conscience and moral sense. If a person loves only himself and not others, then he is not a true self-lover. Only by loving oneself and extending that love to others can one achieve genuine self-love. Self-exaltation means valuing only oneself while denying the value of others and the world. In Laozi's view, the sage possesses self-knowledge; they love not only themselves but also the people. If a ruler, due to his high position, flaunts and elevates himself, he will become arrogant, indulgent, and tyrannical, degenerating into a despot who oppresses the people.