道十七 - Tao Chapter 17

大上 下知有之

其次 亲誉之

其次 畏之

其下 母之

信不足 案有不信

犹呵 其贵言也

成功遂事而百姓谓我自然

最博大的上位者，所有人都知道他的存在（中位）；次一点的（上位者），大家愿意亲近赞誉（正面）；再次一点的，被人害怕（负面）；最下等的，人人都想教训他。 说话不够实诚，不信任也就凸显出来了。要象猿猴警觉的样子，时刻注意自己的言辞，明了千金一诺的道理。说到了，顺理成章就做到了，大家会告诉我：这都是自我驱动的结果。

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The greatest leader is one of whom all the people know, the next is one of whom some people know, the next is one of whom few people know. The one who speaks little and is not trusted is the one who is feared. The one who is least known is the one who is taught.

If you don't speak with sincerity, people will not trust you. Be like a monkey, always aware of your words and adhering to the principle of a single word being worth a thousand pieces of gold. When you speak, do so with ease and people will tell you that it's all due to self-motivation.