← The Dao De Jing
Chapter 41
The Best Person Is Like Water
上士闻道
The Text
上士闻道，勤能行之。中士闻道，若存若亡。下士闻道，大笑之。
When the best person hears of the way, he practises it diligently. When the average person hears of it, he half believes it. When the worst hears of it, he laughs out loud.
Reading it
The three responses are given in order of decreasing effort. The chapter does not argue with the one who laughs — it notes that laughter is what the way sounds like from outside.
三种反应按用力递减排列。这一章不与大笑者辩——它只记下：道从外面听来，就是这个声音。
Practice for the week
Notice which of the three you were, the last time someone told you something true.
回想上一次有人告诉你一件真话，你是三者中的哪一个。