Chapter 13
The Weight of Success and Failure
13.1. Favour and disgrace would seem equally to be feared; honour and great calamity, to be regarded as personal conditions (of the same kind). 2. What is meant by speaking thus of favour and disgrace? Disgrace is being in a low position (after the enjoyment of favour). The getting that (favour) leads to the apprehension (of losing it), and the losing it leads to the fear of (still greater calamity):—this is what is meant by saying that favour and disgrace would seem equally to be feared. And what is meant by saying that honour and great calamity are to…
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Critical Thinking Exercise
Track Your Identity Attachments
Make two lists: things you're proud of about yourself and things you worry about losing. For each item, write whether it's something you ARE or something you DO. Notice how many of your worries connect to things you've made part of your identity. This exercise helps you see where you might be setting yourself up for the success-failure trap that Lao Tzu describes.
Consider:
- •Be honest about what you actually worry about losing, not what you think you should worry about
- •Notice if your proudest achievements are also sources of anxiety
- •Pay attention to items where you use 'I am' versus 'I do' language
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you achieved something important and then immediately started worrying about maintaining it. What would have been different if you had separated the achievement from your identity?
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