One major theme from Thirteen by Tao is that nobody is perfect. Everyone has flaws and imperfections that shape who we are. Making mistakes is part of being a human. “Accept disgrace willingly. Accept misfortune as the human condition” I believe that Tao wants us to accept ourselves for who we are and look past our imperfections. There will be times where we make mistakes, commit wrongdoings, get embarrassed, etc. Tao wants us to accept these moments and take them as lessons instead of using them as a means to hold ourselves back. That is how one becomes the best version of themselves.
“Accept being unimportant. Do not be concerned with loss or gain.” There are more important things than being well known and winning and losing. Tao wants us to stop being concerned about what others think of us. “Misfortune comes from having a body. Without a body, how could there be misfortune?” Tao is reiterating that bad luck, misfortune and making mistakes come with being a human being and there is no way to avoid it. So stop worrying about trying to be perfect and just love yourself for who you are.
1 response so far ↓
p.cheung // Feb 3rd 2017 at 1:30 am
Throughout this poem I can see a great deal of the theme that my classmate talked about. The theme that nobody is perfect is present in every part of this poem. Especially in the last line where it says “Love the world as your own self”, which explains that for you to be able to be happy and able to care for life you should see the world through your own eyes and beliefs, and not change a thing about your true self.
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