At the Mercy of Ants - Part 1

The master carpenter's blade

When Laozi said that a beached whale is at the mercy of ants, he meant that a prince who forgets his place and meddles in a minister's work is at the mercy of bureaucrats.

A prince keeps his throne by doing nothing. He knows his place and builds trust by taking advice. Ministers and subjects respect his judgement and don't question it. They empower superiors with their reports.

When a prince won't delegate and likes working for himself, his judgement gets worse every day and he has only himself to blame. He can't make good decisions when he loses touch with his subjects, and he can't stay in charge when he steps down from the throne.

And when his judgement no longer inspires obedience, when his position no longer commands respect, he no longer has anything in common with his subjects.

When he takes every whim and slight to heart, when he plays favourites in public, those who once knew their place stop doing the right thing and start pandering to superiors.

When public servants break the law and serve themselves, when they're not rewarded for merit, not held accountable for corruption, the ruler and his subjects are estranged.

When the prince and his ministers hate each other, when tensions rise and his wisdom can't ease them, when problems escalate and his brilliance can't resolve them, when he makes problems worse and blames others instead, the busier the master, the lazier the servant.

That's when those who would carve with the great craftsman's blade rarely don't cut their own hands.