The hearing that is only in the ears is one thing. The hearing of the understanding is another. But the hearing of the spirit is not limited to any one faculty to the ear, or to the mind.
ZhuangziRead
Running around accusing others is not as good as laughing. And enjoying a good laugh is not as good as going along with things.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that blaming others is less beneficial than finding joy and laughter, and that acceptance is even more profound.
Zhuangzi illustrates the value of contentment and joy over the futility of blame and accusation. He emphasizes that while it's easy to point fingers at others for our troubles, true wisdom lies in embracing life's absurdities and finding pleasure in the moment, suggesting a pragmatic approach to life's challenges.
Themes
LaughterJoyAcceptanceBlameWisdom
In practice
Example use cases
In a team meeting where tensions are high, this quote can be introduced to lighten the mood.
More from Zhuangzi
All quotes βEither in conflict with others or in harmony with them, we go through life like a runaway horse, unable to stop.
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When people do not ignore what they should ignore, but ignore what they should not ignore, this is known as ignorance.
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The true man of the past waited upon Heaven when dealing with people and did not wait upon people when dealing with Heaven.
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The mind remains undetermined in the great Void. Here the highest knowledge is unbounded. That which gives things their thusness cannot be delimited by things. So when we speak of 'limits', we remain confined to limited things. The limit of the unlimited is called 'fullness.' The limitlessness of the limited is called 'emptiness.' Tao is the source of both. But it is itself neither fullness nor emptiness
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All the fish needs is to get lost in the water. All man needs is to get lost in Tao.
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I believe every one of us possesses a fundamental right to tell our own story.
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