An excerpt from the original text.(complete · 249 words)
10. 1. hen the intelligent and animal souls are held together in one
embrace, they can be kept from separating. When one gives undivided
attention to the (vital) breath, and brings it to the utmost degree of
pliancy, he can become as a (tender) babe. When he has cleansed away
the most mysterious sights (of his imagination), he can become without
a flaw.
2. In loving the people and ruling the state, cannot he proceed
without any (purpose of) action? In the opening and shutting of his
gates of heaven, cannot he do so as a female bird? While his
intelligence reaches in every direction, cannot he (appear to) be
without knowledge?
3. (The Tao) produces (all things) and nourishes them; it produces
them and does not claim them as its own; it does all, and yet does not
boast of it; it presides over all, and yet does not control them.
This is what is called 'The mysterious Quality' (of the Tao).
11. The thirty spokes unite in the one nave; but it is on the empty
space (for the axle), that the use of the wheel depends. Clay is
fashioned into vessels; but it is on their empty hollowness, that
their use depends. The door and windows are cut out (from the walls)
to form an apartment; but it is on the empty space (within), that its
use depends. Therefore, what has a (positive) existence serves for
profitable adaptation, and what has not that for (actual) usefulness.
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Let's Analyse the Pattern
Power and usefulness often come from what you don't do rather than what you do.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches you to recognize that real power often operates through restraint and space-creation rather than force and control.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when someone gains influence by what they don't do - the coworker who doesn't gossip, the parent who doesn't lecture, the friend who doesn't give advice but just listens.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"The thirty spokes unite in the one nave; but it is on the empty space (for the axle), that the use of the wheel depends."
Context: Explaining how emptiness creates usefulness through the metaphor of a wheel
This reveals that what we can't see is often what makes things work. The hole in the center isn't missing something - it's the most important part because it allows the wheel to turn.
In Today's Words:
It's not the spokes that make a wheel useful - it's the empty space in the middle that lets it actually roll.
"Clay is fashioned into vessels; but it is on their empty hollowness, that their use depends."
Context: Continuing the lesson about how emptiness creates function
Shows that value often comes from what's absent rather than what's present. A cup without hollow space is just a lump of clay - useless for holding anything.
In Today's Words:
You can make a beautiful cup, but if it's not hollow inside, it can't hold your coffee.
"It produces them and does not claim them as its own; it does all, and yet does not boast of it."
Context: Describing how the Tao operates in the world
This shows true power - the ability to create and influence without needing recognition. It's the opposite of ego-driven leadership that always needs credit.
In Today's Words:
The best leaders get things done without needing their name on everything or constantly reminding people who's in charge.
Thematic Threads
Power
In This Chapter
True power comes from restraint and creating space rather than constant action
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You might notice this when the coworker who speaks less in meetings actually has more influence than the one who dominates every discussion.
Balance
In This Chapter
Keeping rational mind and instincts working together instead of fighting each other
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You experience this when you learn to trust your gut feelings while still thinking things through, instead of overthinking every decision.
Flexibility
In This Chapter
Finding strength in adaptability rather than rigid control
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You see this when the parent who can bend with their teenager's changing needs maintains a better relationship than the one who enforces every rule rigidly.
Humility
In This Chapter
Creating and nurturing without claiming ownership or demanding credit
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You practice this when you help a coworker succeed without needing everyone to know it was your idea.
Influence
In This Chapter
Leading without controlling, influencing without forcing
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You master this when you can guide your family's decisions by asking the right questions rather than giving orders.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
Lao Tzu uses examples of wheels, cups, and rooms to show how emptiness creates usefulness. Can you think of a situation in your own life where 'empty space' made something work better?
analysis • surface - 2
Why might someone who talks less in a conversation actually have more influence than someone who dominates the discussion?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see people in your workplace or family trying to fill every moment with activity or control? What happens when they do this?
application • medium - 4
Think about a relationship that works well in your life. How do both people create 'space' for each other to be themselves?
application • deep - 5
Lao Tzu suggests that true power comes from knowing when NOT to act. What does this reveal about the difference between force and influence?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Strategic Emptiness
Think about a current challenge you're facing where you feel the urge to 'do something' or take control. Write down what you would normally do, then brainstorm what might happen if you created space instead - by listening more, waiting longer, or stepping back. Map out both approaches and their likely outcomes.
Consider:
- •Consider how your usual response might be filling space that needs to stay empty
- •Think about what other people might do or discover if you don't jump in immediately
- •Notice the difference between being passive and being strategically patient
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you gained more influence by doing less rather than more. What did that teach you about the relationship between space and power?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 11: The Power of Empty Space
The next passage dives deeper into this concept of useful emptiness, using everyday objects like wheels and pottery to show how the most essential parts of anything are often invisible. You'll discover why the things we can't see or touch are often what make everything else work.
