This passage touches on an important aspect of human life - that of success and failure. In the case of Success, it always seems to come with a hint of fear. Fear of Success can come in many forms - it could be a fear of losing said success, the jealousy it arouses in others, or just the unexpected level of responsibility that comes with it. In the case of Failure, we fear that we will never succeed and will remain a failure FOREVER. Or we may fear what others think of us, deeming us as failures within our families or communities. What I got from this passage is the power of personal integrity and learning to love/trust our selves, regardless of the outcome of our endeavors. When we live from a place of authenticity, we can confidently revel in our success, and forgive ourselves when we fail, choosing to learn from our mistakes.

I recently watched an interview of Maya Angelou by Bill Moyers, where he asks her if she belongs to anyone, and I think her response encapsulates the message Lao-Tzu was conveying in this passage. She said, “I belong to myself. I’m very proud of that. I am very concerned about how I look at Maya. I like Maya very much. I like the humor and the courage very much. And when I find myself acting in a way that isn’t — that doesn’t please me, then I have to deal with that.” It’s imperative that we cultivate a strong sense of self that will carry us through the highs and lows of our lives. We have to live, think, see for ourselves, from an independent mind that sees beyond the veil - the veil of mediocrity, inferiority and a lack of self awareness.