All things with form are easy to cut and divide. Why? Where there is form, there are length and shortness; length and shortness bring smallness and greatness; smallness and greatness bring squareness and roundness; squareness and roundness bring hardness and brittleness; hardness and brittleness bring lightness and heaviness; lightness and heaviness bring whiteness and blackness. Length‑shortness, smallness‑greatness, squareness‑roundness, hardness‑brittleness, lightness‑heaviness, whiteness‑blackness are called principles (li). Once principles are fixed, things are easy to manage.
Thus speaking after public discussion secures one’s argument – prudent debaters know this truth. To make squares and circles, one follows compasses and rulers, and the achievement of all affairs appears. All things have inherent rules; debaters calculate and weigh these rules.
Sages fully follow the inherent rules of all things. Hence the saying: “Dare not be first under heaven.”
Daring not to be first, all tasks are accomplished and all merits achieved, with peerless wisdom. How can one avoid high official rank? High rank means leading successful undertakings. Therefore: “Daring not to be first under heaven, one may lead all successful undertakings.”
Note
This passage offers a governance maxim: success lies not in reckless initiative, but in following inherent objective principles; by not rushing to lead, one ultimately becomes the leader of all achievements.
Late Warring‑States Legalist philosopher. This passage is from Explaining Laozi (Jie Lao), his commentary on the Dao De Jing. He re‑interprets Daoist humility as Legalist practical strategy of following objective rules rather than reckless initiative.
Form‑Principle Logic
Tangible things possess fixed concrete principles (li), which can be measured by standards like compasses and rulers – a core Han‑Fei epistemology.
Following Rules Instead of Taking Lead
“Not being first” does not mean passivity, but yielding to objective laws to achieve ultimate leadership.
Post‑Debate Prudence
The metaphor of speaking after public discussion illustrates rational timing and compliance with prevailing principles, a political survival and governance skill.
凡物之有形者易裁也，易割也。何以論之？有形則有短長，有短長則有小大，有小大則有方圓，有方圓則有堅脆，有堅脆則有輕重，有輕重則有白黑。短長、大小、方圓、堅脆、輕重、白黑之謂理。理定而物易割也。故議於大庭而後言則立，權議之士知之矣。故欲成方圓而隨其規矩，則萬事之功形矣。而萬物莫不有規矩。議言之士，計會規矩也。聖人盡隨於萬物之規矩，故曰：「不敢為天下先。」不敢為天下先則事無不事，功無不功，而議必蓋世，欲無處大官，其可得乎？處大官之謂為成事長，是以故曰：「不敢為天下先，故能為成事長。」
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