One Who Knows by Lao Tzu

In a traditional format, critically analyzing conceptual poems frequently involves reading the larger body of a collection to understand how passages unfold. Repeatedly, Lao Tzu mentions how Masters understand balance. Opposites are each other. People perceive things with judgment, yet Masters see they are actually the same. This passage is no different.

The one who knows does not speak.
The one who speaks does not know.

It is introduced with two opposites. Reading the lines a person might assume knowing is better than not knowing and seek remaining silent to demonstrate they are knowledgeable; however, as "One Who Knows" continues it explains the deficits and rewards of silence and speech. Each premise has two stanzas to explain speech.

Curb your intellect.
Cut out contention.

A silent person is at peace with the universe and "merges with the dust," yet no longer has questions and ceases to learn.

They cannot benefit you or harm you,
Lift you up or pull you down.

A talkative person is difficult to escape and has difficult escaping, yet they have social interaction and participate in people's lives.

When first reading this passage imagining life with talkative interaction, appears bleak. Considering the order of subjects and wanting to find knowledge, it appears obvious that knowing is better than not knowing. After realizing social interaction is fun and curiosity produces speech Tzu is not establishing a hierarchy, he perceives two opposites in balance. Exaggerated state of being lacks desirable outcomes. Together a person is knowledgeable with isolation and friendly without being subject to other people's whims.

When acknowledging a lack of balance this is a peaceful method for correcting the problem so a person becomes, "free of entanglements." This is a simplified interaction between people to explain larger events. Broader implications are applied to a myriad of interactions and physics which is similar to the concept in an article I wrote an article, "Our Capital."

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