Returning to Source
The Report the Root Makes
That which is at rest is easily kept hold of; before a thing has given indications of its presence, it is easy to take measures against it. The tree which fills the arms grew from the tiniest sprout; the tower of nine storeys rose from a small heap of earth; the journey of a thousand li commenced with a single step. People in their conduct of affairs are constantly ruining them when they are on the eve of success. If they were careful at the end as at the beginning, there would be no ruined affairs.
Key Insight
Return includes going back to the scale at which a thing was still holdable: sprout, heap, step. Ruin likes the eve of success, when the beginning has been forgotten and the end is being forced.
“The tree which fills the arms grew from the tiniest sprout; the tower of nine storeys rose from a (small) heap of earth; the journey of a thousand li commenced with a single step.”Explore full theme analysis
