The hearing that is only in the ears is one thing. The hearing of the understanding is another. But the hearing of the spirit is not limited to any one faculty to the ear, or to the mind.
ZhuangziRead
When an archer is shooting for nothing, he has all his skill. If he shoots for a brass buckle, he is already nervous. If he shoots for a prize of gold, he goes blind or sees two targets - He is out of his mind! His skill has not changed. But the prize divides him. He cares. He thinks more of winning than of shooting- And the need to win drains him of power.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes that focus on external rewards can hinder performance, while pursuing a task for its own sake allows for full skill expression.
Zhuangzi's quote illustrates the idea that when an archer aims for tangible rewards, such as wealth or recognition, it creates distractions that undermine their ability to perform. The archer's skill remains unchanged, yet the fixation on success causes anxiety and a divided focus, leading to subpar performance. This highlights the importance of intrinsic motivation and the idea that true mastery comes from engaging in the activity for its own sake rather than for external validation.
Themes
SkillFocusPerformanceIntrinsic MotivationDistraction
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech on refining skills and focusing on the process, one could use this quote to illustrate how pressure affects performance.
More from Zhuangzi
All quotes →Either in conflict with others or in harmony with them, we go through life like a runaway horse, unable to stop.
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When people do not ignore what they should ignore, but ignore what they should not ignore, this is known as ignorance.
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The true man of the past waited upon Heaven when dealing with people and did not wait upon people when dealing with Heaven.
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The mind remains undetermined in the great Void. Here the highest knowledge is unbounded. That which gives things their thusness cannot be delimited by things. So when we speak of 'limits', we remain confined to limited things. The limit of the unlimited is called 'fullness.' The limitlessness of the limited is called 'emptiness.' Tao is the source of both. But it is itself neither fullness nor emptiness
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All the fish needs is to get lost in the water. All man needs is to get lost in Tao.
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