Chapter 24 of the Laozi

Chinese Text

企qǐ者zhě不bù久jiǔ, 跨kuà者zhě不bù行xíng, 自zì见xiàn不bù明míng, 自zì是shì不bù彰zhāng, 自zì伐fá无wú功gōng, 自zì矜jīn不bù长cháng.
其qí在zài道dào, 曰yuē余yú食shí赘zhuì行xíng, 物wù或huò有yǒu恶wù之zhī, 故gù有yǒu道dào不bù处chǔ.

Translation

One who stands on tiptoe is not steady; one who strides cannot walk far.
One who shows off is not enlightened.
One who is self-righteous does not shine.
One who boasts has no merit.
One who is self-important does not endure.
According to the Tao, such behavior is like leftover food or a repulsive tumor, which people constantly despise.
Therefore, one who possesses the Tao does not engage in such things.

Notes

One who stands on tiptoe seeks to see farther; one who strides seeks to cover more ground. Both comparisons illustrate that those who elevate themselves or seek to appear great (by boasting) cannot endure for long.

This chapter follows the previous one. Just as those who love to argue cannot endure, so those who stand on tiptoe or stride cannot stand or walk for long. The author uses these examples to highlight the fault of those who try to outdo others with their cleverness.

One who stands on tiptoe only seeks to be taller than others; they do not realize they cannot stand like that for long. One who strides only seeks to outpace others; they do not realize they cannot walk like that for long.

The author uses simple comparisons to demonstrate the axioms he presents later.

They imagine that no one in the empire is their equal. Thus, they cannot benefit from others' qualities or talents. This is why they are not enlightened (自见不明 zì xiàn bù míng).

One who approves of themselves with bias (and blames others) imagines that no one else is as capable as they are; thus, they cannot benefit from others' talents. This is why they do not shine (自是不彰 zì shì bù zhāng).

One who boasts of their merit still fears not being recognized or esteemed by others, and others, in turn, despise them. This is why they have no merit (or lose their merit) (自伐无功 zì fá wú gōng).

One who is self-important (one who relies on their own ability) imagines that no one else is their equal (自矜 zì jīn).

Such people love to defeat others. Not only do they gain no merit, but they also quickly bring about their own downfall (不长 bù zhǎng).

I translated the words 余食赘行 yú shí zhuì xíng according to the explanation of 释德清 Shì Déqīng: The word 行 xíng (commonly "to walk" or "to act") should be read as if it were 形 xíng "body." Anciently, these two words were interchangeable. This reading is also recommended by the commentator C. Ibidem: "Like leftover food (余食 yú shí), like a goiter on the body (赘行 zhuì xíng)." These are things that everyone despises (leftover food and goiter are things that people universally despise).

In the second sentence of Chapter IV, 河上公 Héshàng Gōng interprets the word 或 huò (commonly "perhaps," "someone") as "constantly."

The person who possesses the Tao persists in humility; necessarily, they do not engage in the behavior that 老子 Lǎozǐ criticizes.