19. Plainness and Simplicity｜Tao Te Ching

绝（jué）圣（shèng）弃（qì）智（zhì），（）民（mín）利（lì）百（bǎi）倍（bèi）；（）绝（jué）仁（rén）弃（qì）义（yì），（）民（mín）复（fù）孝（xiào）慈（cí）；（）绝（jué）巧（qiǎo）弃（qì）利（lì），（）盗（dào）贼（zéi）无（wú）有（yǒu）。（）

Put an end to the worship of sageliness and cleverness, and the people will benefit a hundredfold. Cast off advertised benevolence and duty, and the people will return to genuine family care. Abandon cunning and the chase for profit, and thieves will disappear.

What is rejected is the elevation of labels and techniques that feed competition. With those artificial incentives reduced, ordinary bonds and simple living can recover.

此（cǐ）三（sān）者（zhě）以（yǐ）为（wéi）文（wén）不（bù）足（zú）。（）

These three points, stated merely as formulas, are not enough.

The preceding rejections could remain slogans or surface rules. They therefore need a positive, practical direction for life.

故（gù）令（lìng）有（yǒu）所（suǒ）属（shǔ）：（）见（xiàn）素（sù）抱（bào）朴（pǔ），（）少（shǎo）私（sī）寡（guǎ）欲（yù）。（）

So let there be something to hold to: show your natural color, embrace simplicity, lessen self-interest, and reduce desire.

The unbleached and the uncarved represent what has not been decorated or manipulated. Real change begins by simplifying daily wants and loosening the grip of private advantage.

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19. Plainness and Simplicity

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