Dao De Jing

67. Unimportance

All the world says,

"I am important;

I am separate from all the world.

I am important because I am separate,

Were I the same, I could never be important."

Yet here are three treasures

That I cherish and commend to you:

The first is compassion,

By which one finds courage.

The second is restraint,

By which one finds strength.

And the third is unimportance,

By which one finds influence.

Those who are fearless, but without compassion,

Powerful, but without restraint,

Or influential, yet important,

Cannot endure.