clout.jpg

Clout

In the old days, the best influencers were a bit mysterious, strangely reasonable, definitely inscrutable. In fact, being so inscrutable is what made them so compelling.

They were careful, like a winter crossing, and reserved, like respectful neighbours. They were as serious as they were polite, but chill, like melting ice. They were as true as timber, as wide as valleys, as messy as mud.

Who else would quietly clean up by calming us down, and who else would quietly steady us by keeping us moving?

These days, people like that don't care about clout. In fact, they don't flex because their superpower is making a difference without making it about themselves.

Notes

There's a lot of variation in this one between different versions, especially in the sayings. Words have double meanings, definitions specific to Daoism, and entries in the Yijing, so it's obscure, like the inaudible, invisible, ineffable influence it describes.

I've been trying to wrap my head around , and for a long time, and the only constant I've found is that contrasts of the previous saying, and it's something like the difference between patience and good will () and the arrogance and idealism of power ().

Vocabulary

gǔ gù
口 30 + 2
old, classic, ancient
zhī zhū
丿 4 + 3
marks preceding phrase as modifier of following phrase; it, him her, them; go to
shàn
口 30 + 9
good, virtuous, charitable, kind
wèi
火 86 + 5
do, handle, govern, act; be
shì
士 33 + 0
scholar, gentleman; soldier
zhě
老 125 + 4
that which; he who; those who
wēi
彳 60 + 10
small, prefix micro-, trifling
miào miǎo
女 38 + 4
mysterious, subtle; exquisite
xuán xuàn
玄 95 + 0
deep, profound, abstruse; Kangxi radical 95
tōng
辵 162 + 7
pass through; common; communicate
shēn
水 85 + 8
deep; depth; far; very, extreme
bù fǒu
一 1 + 3
no, not; un-; negative prefix
kě gē
口 30 + 2
may, can, -able; possibly
shì zhì
言 149 + 12
recognize, understand, know
fū fú
大 37 + 1
man, male adult, husband; those
wéi wěi
口 30 + 8
only; yes
攴 66 + 5
ancient, old; reason, because
qiáng
弓 57 + 8
strong, powerful, energetic
róng yǒng
宀 40 + 7
looks, appearance; figure, form
yù xiè
豕 152 + 9
relaxed, comfortable, at ease; hexagram ䷏
八 12 + 2
exclamatory particle
ruò ré
艸 140 + 5
if, supposing, assuming; similar
dōng
冫 15 + 3
winter, 11th lunar month
shè dié
水 85 + 7
ford stream, wade across
chuān
巛 47 + 0
stream, river; flow; boil
yóu yáo
犬 94 + 9
like, similar to, just like, as
wèi wēi
田 102 + 4
fear, dread, awe, reverence
囗 31 + 2
four
lín lìn
邑 163 + 12
neighbor; neighborhood
yǎn
人 9 + 20
grave, respectful, majestic
qí jī
八 12 + 6
his, her, its, their; that
huàn
水 85 + 9
scatter; scattered, dispersed; hexagram ䷺
bīng níng
冫 15 + 4
ice; ice-cold
jiāng jiàng
寸 41 + 8
will, going to, future; general
shì yì
釆 165 + 13
interpret, elucidate; release
dūn duī
攴 66 + 8
esteem; honest, candid, sincere
pǔ pú
木 75 + 12
simple, honest; plain; rough
kuàng
日 72 + 15
extensive, wide, broad; empty
gǔ lù
谷 150 + 0
valley, gorge, ravine; Kangxi radical 150
hùn gǔn
水 85 + 8
to mix, blend, mingle; to bumble along
zhuó
水 85 + 13
muddy, turbid, dirty, filthy
shú
子 39 + 8
who? which? what? which one?
néng tái
肉 130 + 6
to be able; can, permitted to; ability
yǐ sì
人 9 + 3
by means of; thereby, therefore; consider as; in order to
jìng
靑 174 + 8
quiet, still, motionless; gentle
彳 60 + 7
slowly, quietly, calmly; composed, dignified
qīng qìng
水 85 + 8
clear, pure, clean; peaceful
ān
宀 40 + 3
peaceful, tranquil, quiet
jiǔ
丿 4 + 2
long time (ago); time passage, grow late
dòng
力 19 + 9
move, happen; movement, action
shēng
生 100 + 0
life, living, lifetime; birth
bǎo
人 9 + 7
protect, safeguard, defend, care
止 77 + 2
this, these; in this case, then
dào dǎo
辵 162 + 9
path, road, street; method, way
欠 76 + 7
desire, want, long for; intend
yíng
皿 108 + 4
fill; full, overflowing; surplus
bì biē
艸 140 + 12
cover, hide, conceal; shelter
xīn
斤 69 + 9
new, recent, fresh, modern
chéng
戈 62 + 2
completed, finished, fixed