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"It is because the most excellent (de) do not strive to excel (de) That they are of the highest efficacy (de). And it is because the least excellent do not leave off striving to excel That they have no efficacy. Persons of the highest efficacy neither do things coercively Nor would they have any motivation for doing so. Persons who are most authoritative (ren) do things coercively And yet are not motivated in doing so. Persons who are most appropriate (yi) do things coercively And indeed do have a motive for doing so. Persons who are exemplars of ritual propriety (li) do things coercively And when no one pays them any heed, They yank up their sleeves and drag others along with them. Thus, only when we have lost sight of way-making (dao) is there excellence, Only when we have lost sight of excellence is there authoritative conduct, Only when we have lost sight of authoritative conduct is there appropriateness, And only when we have lost sight of appropriateness is there ritual propriety. As for ritual propriety, it is the thinnest veneer of doing one’s best and making good on one’s word, And it is the first sign of trouble. “Foreknowledge” is tinsel decorating the way, And is the first sign of ignorance. It is for this reason that persons of consequence: Set store by the substance rather than the veneer And by the fruit rather than the flower. Hence, eschewing one they take the other."