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"Be careful," replied Lao TzΕ, "not to interfere with the natural goodness of the heart of man. Man's heart may be forced down or stirred up. In each case the issue is fatal. By gentleness, the hardest heart may be softened. But try to cut and polish it,β'twill glow like fire or freeze like ice. In the twinkling of an eye it will pass beyond the limits of the Four Seas. In repose, profoundly still; in motion, far away in the sky. No bolt can bar, no bond can bind,βsuch is the human heart."
Source Chuang Tzu, chapter 11, Β§3 Β· π Read the full passage
β¨ To meditate on today
According to Chuang Tzu, Lao Tan (Lao-tzu) teaches that people are guided well only by doing no violence to their hearts: the human heart, free and sensitive, collapses under oppression and runs wild under excitement. Today, if you want to convince or help someone, do not pressure them: speak gently, give them time, and respect their freedom.
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