Tuesday, August 14, 2012

The Golden Middle

Fibonacci Spiral
 Fibonacci Spiral - The Golden Middle

When men acquire something, they never get only what they desire and nothing more; when men reject something, they never rid themselves only of what they hate and nothing more. Therefore, when men act, it must be on the basis of some scale or standard. If a balance is not properly adjusted, then heavy objects will rise in the air and men will suppose they are light, and light objects will sink down so that men suppose they are heavy. Hence men become deluded as to the true weight of the objects.

Similarly, if man's standards are not correct, then misfortune may come in the guise of what they desire, and they will construe it as good fortune, or good fortune may come in the guise of what they hate and they will mistake it for misfortune. In this way, men become deluded as to the true nature of good and bad fortune. The Way is the proper standard for past and present. He who departs from the Way and makes arbitrary choices on the basis of his own judgment does not understand wherein fortune and misfortune lie.

Hsun Tzu

Image by Rodney Young