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
The perfect man of old looked after himself first before looking to help others.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of self-care before one can effectively assist others.
Zhuangzi suggests that true wisdom involves understanding oneself and ensuring one's own well-being before attempting to aid others. This reflects a holistic approach to personal development, where one must be grounded and fulfilled internally in order to contribute positively to the lives of others and the community at large.
Themes
Self-CareHelping OthersWisdomPersonal Growth
In practice
Example use cases
In a workshop on personal development, a speaker could use this quote to emphasize the importance of self-care.
More from Zhuangzi
All quotes βEither in conflict with others or in harmony with them, we go through life like a runaway horse, unable to stop.
ZhuangziRead
When people do not ignore what they should ignore, but ignore what they should not ignore, this is known as ignorance.
ZhuangziRead
The true man of the past waited upon Heaven when dealing with people and did not wait upon people when dealing with Heaven.
ZhuangziRead
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
ZhuangziRead
All the fish needs is to get lost in the water. All man needs is to get lost in Tao.
ZhuangziRead
Similar quotes
Hill House, she thought, You're as hard to get into as heaven.
Shirley JacksonRead
Identity is a prison you can never escape, but the way to redeem your past is not to run from it, but to try to understand it, and use it as a foundation to grow.
Jay-ZRead
It was when I was the age where you can, as they say, "hear voices" without worrying that something is wrong with you. I "heard voices" all the time as a small child.
David Foster WallaceRead
I have always said that often the religion you were born with becomes more important to you as you see the universality of truth.
Ram DassRead
AIDS occupies such a large part in our awareness because of what it has been taken to represent. It seems the very model of all the catastrophes privileged populations feel await them.
Susan SontagRead
If, indeed, a firearm were more dangerous to its possessors than to potential aggressors, would it not make sense for the government to arm all criminals, and let them accidentally shoot themselves? Is this absurd? Yes, and yet the government, of course, is arming criminals.
David MametRead