Latest revision as of 18:51, 30 June 2010

part of the Sacred Chao Te Ching

Chapter 51

If you want to be serious,
don't take yourself seriously.
be open to change,
and bold enough to be the butt of the joke.

When you walk with total certainty, 
your head high 
like a cosmic shmuck,
you are vulnerable to the old banana peel shtick.

When a shmuck slips,
their face becomes red with embarrassment. 
Eris showed them what they did not perceive,
And, be honest, it was funny.

Chapter 52

The unity of the Chao shattered into everything else.
Those who understand Chaos can understand the rest.
That which can be understood can be useful.

Embrace doubt, reserve judgment,
and knowledge will flow like water.
Come to solid conclusions, have unwavering Faith,
and nothing will make sense.

Admitting ignorance is wise;
Declaring stupidity is clever.
Look for the gaps, seek them out,
and then you'll know what needs filling.
This is Thinking for Yourself.

Chapter 53

Even those who partially understand
admit they do not know everything.
What is unknown is vast, 
but people enjoy blinding themselves.

When Authority bangs the podium,
the people say, "my country, right or wrong."
When the holy man thumps his scripture,
the people embrace Faith over Facts.
So some people revel
in their abandonment of responsibility.
They have given up their humanity.
This is fucking stupid.

Chapter 54

Our society is firmly held and steered
by deeply ingrained and arbitrary rules.
Those who choose to play a different game
are usually trampled underfoot,
unless they appear to be playing along.

To belong to the group,
you must follow their rules.
To follow their rules,
you must abandon responsibility.
When you abandon responsibility,
you destroy the Self.

Therefore the wise spags choose responsibly,
and seek out new groups.
They know which rules are their own,
which come from others,
and how to navigate between them.

Chapter 55

Those who understand Chaos can pierce any illusion.
Disorder does not trouble them.
Order does not placate them.
They see around the bars of their Cell,
and always look just a little bit further.
They can freely create, knowing no boundaries,
but color inside the lines when they must.
They can wear ideas like masks, but remove them at will,
and are not bound by chains of Faith.
To know Chaos is to always be in doubt.
To know doubt is to always seek an answer.

To try and force Truth is dangerous.
To decide you're right before getting the facts is foolish;
The first errant bit of evidence will cause a collapse.
Whatever is monolithic will fall.

Chapter 56

Those that create, also destroy.
Those who destroy, also create.
Study the sixteen forms
of Order, Creation, Disorder, and Destruction.
These are all lies.
Those believing them can do anything.
Those who disbelieve are fools.
Do you believe that?

Chapter 57

Authority rules through miscommunication.
Wars are waged by pandering to fears.
The world can be won by joining opposites:
Tell people what they want to hear, and they will follow.
Make them think like apes, and they will act like monkeys.
Relieve them of their responsibilities, they will call you wise.
Show them what they fear, they will call you just.

Therefore, the wise spags say,
"Pay no attention to the speeches of Authority,
but listen instead to what the audience is hearing.
And if at all possible,
try to be the one making the speech."

Chapter 58

When Authority imposes Order, people become angry.
When Authority allows Freedom, people become nervous.
To allow for mistakes means accepting mistakes;
To enforce Order ensures future punishment.
The people want Freedom, but at others' expense.
The people want Order, but only to justify their actions.
Therefore the wise spags disrupt Order,
and organize Freedom, 
and freely create their Illusions.

Chapter 59

Status gives power, 
but power inhibits communication.
Seek information from opposing sides.
Listen to the will of the people,
but also to the well-informed.
Talk to people who disagree;
Those who would undermine you
are a part of what you do.

Do not keep things concealed,
and do never resort to,
"Because I said so."
The people may be foolish,
but they are not fools.
These are social laws of motion,
the thermodynamics of discourse.

Eventually, those that try to impose Order
become mired in disarray.
Action creates resistance.
It's not personal,
it's hilarious.

Chapter 60

A good leader is like an orchestra conductor.
He is given a set of rules that the people should follow.
By flapping his arms, he tries organize them.
The more careful and precise he is,
the more harmonious the performance.
However, a good leader knows
that it is the individual differences
working together, yet independent,
that create the rich texture.
And so Order and Disorder combine
to create beauty.