eLearning & Deliberative Moments

This poem attributed to Lao Tsu (c. 700 bce) has become a meme. Oxfam put it on a brochure annual report promoting a new style of global citizenship and social-justice work. It is listed in books of quotations. Many websites and blogs about communities of practice and community empowerment show it:But a quick search turns up that it's actually from Chapter 17 of Tao Te Ching (Dao De Jing) by Lao Tsu (Lao-zi), with ongoing debate about if how and when it was written.

Here is a feminist translation by j. h. mcdonald:

The best leaders are those the people hardly know exist.
The next best is a leader who is loved and praised.
Next comes the one who is feared.
The worst one is the leader that is despised.

If you don't trust the people,
they will become untrustworthy.

The best leaders value their words, and use them sparingly.
When she has accomplished her task,
the people say, Amazing:
we did it, all by ourselves!

Here is another translation by Sanderson Beck:

The best leaders the people barely know. The next best they love and praise. The next they fear. And the next they hate.

Those who lack trust will not be trusted. Then they resort to promises. But when they accomplish their task and complete their work, the people say, We did it ourselves.

This translation by Steven Mitchell:

When the Master governs, the people
are hardly aware that he exists.
Next best is a leader who is loved.
Next, one who is feared.
The worst is one who is despised.

If you don't trust the people,
you make them untrustworthy.

The Master doesn't talk, he acts.
When his work is done,
the people say, Amazing:
we did it, all by ourselves!

Whilst not identical, these translations are more like each other than the meme. They appear to be more about facilitation than empowerment.

Sounds like Chinese whispers by a lot of well-intentioned people not checking their source.

Posted by rlubensky on 04 February 2008 at 2:12 AM | Permalink