62. Small Preponderance

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The Lines

Bottom. [6] A modest man, when resources are weak, should try to make the best of the situation as it presently exists. He should attempt improvements only as a last resort, when change becomes imperative and there are no other alternatives. If he tries to alter the situation before he is able to increase his strength and develop his resources, he is bound to fail. To go along with things as they have always been done may be quite unsatisfactory, but to attempt to improve them when conditions are unfavorable will at best result in a waste of time and accomplish nothing.

2. [6] The modest man does not stand on ceremony. He has a duty to perform, and if he is unable to do it in a way that reflects highly on himself, he will do it by whatever more modest means are available to him. At such times, he is led by duty, responsibility, and necessity, not by pride or a desire for recognition. This is not the time for him to seek acknowledgment of his status or recognition of his position. To accomplish his main task is his primary purpose.

3. [9] A righteous man who has done no wrong often feels that he has nothing to fear and that no one can touch him. As a result, his overconfidence leads him to neglect taking ordinary precautions that could save him from needless harm. He thinks that to take defensive measures would suggest that maybe he has something to hide, and perhaps he is not as upright as he tries to project. And so, he moves ahead while ignoring the possibility of threats to him and his integrity. But there are often dangers perpetrated by evil men who wish to attack even the most innocent, and to dismiss the possibility leaves a good man unprepared. To fail to take defensive actions in the face of such possibilities can leave even the most guiltless man subject to great difficulties that just a little bit of prevention could have avoided.

4. [9] Sometimes in a very difficult situation, a man can avoid an unfortunate outcome by doing nothing -- that is, by taking no action and simply stepping aside. Situations often have a way of healing themselves without any movement on the part of the person in a weak or potentially dangerous position. In an extremely dangerous situation, doing nothing at least assures that the man does not make a mistake. It may be that any positive act would make the situation worse and bring the man into danger. This does not mean that he gives up or abandons his cause; on the contrary, he continues working towards his goal inwardly and privately. He remains ever ready to accept an improvement of the situation and to receive benefits, but he makes no outward move in that direction.

5. [6] A man is fully capable of leadership and of helping the people find a way out of difficult times, but he is unable to do anything because he is in a weak position where he is alone and without the right kind of assistance. What he envisions will be of great benefit to the people, but he cannot accomplish it by himself; the job requires assistants with special skills. His first step, therefore, is to find helpers who can provide the needed skills and complete the task. These skilled helpers themselves are modest men and not well known, but they have proven their abilities by the work they have done in the past. By identifying these helpers and seeking them out, a good working team can be assembled, and the great and difficult task can be accomplished.

Top. [6] In a time when only minor tasks can be contemplated, if a man is ambitious and seeks to accomplish a great work, and then refuses to back off regardless of the difficulties, he cannot avoid an unfortunate outcome. Such a man, who sets his will against all indicators and refuses to heed the signs of the time, has placed himself in opposition to the movement of Fate. There is nothing that can save him from a disastrous ending 

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