Chapter 3

Do not exalt the worthy, so that the people will not contend. Do not prize rare goods, so that the people will not steal. Do not display what is desirable, so that the people's hearts will not be disturbed. Therefore, in the governance of the sage: he empties their minds, fills their bellies, weakens their ambitions, and strengthens their bones. He constantly keeps the people without knowledge and without desire. He ensures that the clever dare not act. By practicing non-action (wu wei), there is nothing that is not governed well.