Doing Over Saying

A truly good person is not aware of their goodness, And is therefore good. A foolish person tries to be good, And is therefore not good.

A truly good person does nothing, Yet nothing is left undone. A foolish person is always doing, Yet much remains to be done

When a truly kind person does something, they leave nothing undone. When a justified person does something, they leave a great deal to be done.

Therefore when goodness is lost, there is kindness. When kindness is lost, there is justice. When justice is lost, there is ritual. Now ritual is the husk of faith and loyalty, the beginning of confusion.

Therefore the truly great person dwells on what is real, and not what is on the surface, On the fruit and not the flower. Therefore accept the one and reject the other.

–Lao Tzu