The partial becomes complete; the crooked, straight; the empty, full; the worn out, new. He whose (desires) are few gets them; he whose (desires) are many goes astray.
Therefore the sage holds in his embrace the one thing (of humility), and manifests it to all the world. He is free from self- display, and therefore he shines; from self-assertion, and therefore he is distinguished; from self-boasting, and therefore his merit is acknowledged; from self-complacency, and therefore he acquires superiority. It is because he is thus free from striving that therefore no one in the world is able to strive with him.
That saying of the ancients that ‘the partial becomes complete’ was not vainly spoken: – all real completion is comprehended under it.
Note
Chapter 22 of the Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching) elaborates on the dialectics presented in Chapter II, evolving from the transformation of contradictions to the dynamic of qualitative inversion.
It explores how phenomena evolve from the negative to the positive, thereby revealing the application of dialectical thinking in observing and managing social life.
Ordinary people fixate on superficial appearances, overlooking the essence of things. Their obsession with immediate gains and quick results often leads to adverse consequences.
Ordinary individuals tend to prioritize outcomes while underestimating causes or processes. As the Buddhist saying states: “Bodhisattvas fear causes, while ordinary beings fear consequences.” Humans, failing to fully grasp the law of cause and effect, invert their perception of reality.
They yearn for ideal outcomes, yet due to limitations in cognitive understanding, they struggle to achieve their goals. In work and daily life, mistakes and setbacks are often inevitable. However, it is precisely through this process of trial, error, and correction that we discern right from wrong, gradually advancing toward our objectives while deepening our comprehension.
Every phenomenon encompasses opposing aspects, and only by observing both can one attain holistic understanding. For example, in adverse situations, Laozi advises:
- Maintain optimism by identifying positive dimensions.
- Apply strategies of temporary retreat to advance, thereby balancing circumstances.
Further Reading
Chapter Eight uses the metaphor of water’s softness and humility to emphasize the wisdom of “non-contention,” while Chapter Twenty-Two elaborates on the philosophy of “advancing by yielding” through natural phenomena such as “bending,” “twisting,” “hollowing,” and “wearing down.” Together, they construct the Daoist paradigm for conduct: “the soft overcomes the strong.” Chapter Eight implies the dialectical notion that “weakness can overcome strength” (as water, though soft, can wear away stone), and Chapter Twenty-Two explicitly articulates principles of transformation between opposites, such as “to yield is to be preserved whole, to be bent is to become straight.” Both chapters reflect the Daoist profound understanding of the mutual transformation inherent in contradictory aspects.
Chapter Twenty-Two emphasizes the individual cultivation of “yielding to achieve wholeness,” while Chapter Thirty-Six extends this to the national level with the strategy of “concealing one’s capabilities and biding one’s time.” Together, they embody the Daoist philosophy of survival encapsulated in the idea that “the soft is the function of the Dao.”
Chapter Seventy-Eight employs the metaphor of water to highlight the resilience of “softness” (water, though soft, can erode hard objects), and Chapter Twenty-Two further elucidates the survival wisdom of “softness” through natural phenomena such as “bending” and “twisting.” Together, they construct the Daoist philosophical system centered on “using softness as strength.”
曲則全，枉則直，窪則盈，弊則新，少則得，多則惑。是以聖人抱一為天下式。不自見，故明；不自是，故彰；不自伐，故有功；不自矜，故長。夫唯不爭，故天下莫能與之爭。古之所謂曲則全者，豈虛言哉！誠全而歸之。
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