Tao te Ching: 41

When the highest type of men hear Tao,
They diligently practice it.
When the average type of men hear Tao,
They half believe in it.
When they lowest type of men hear Tao,
They laugh heartily at it.
If they did not laugh at it, it would not be Tao.
Therefore there is the established saying:
The Tao which is bright appears to be dark.
The Tao which goes forward appears to fall backward.
The Tao which is level appears uneven.
Great virtue appears like a valley (hollow).
Great purity appears like disgrace.
Far-reaching virtue appears as if insufficient.
Solid virtue appears as if unsteady.
True substance appears to be changeable.
The great square has no corners.
The great implement (or talent) is slow to finish (or mature).
Great music sounds faint.
Tao is hidden and nameless.
Yet it is Tao alone that skilfully provides for all and brings them to perfection.

This is a good chapter to follow the statement "Reversion is the action of Tao." There are seemingly paradoxical statements in the Tao te Ching.

Chapter 58 says, "Calamity is that upon which happiness depends; Happiness is that in which calamity is latent." Chapter 22 is full of them. In fact, the majority of the chapter is like that, and I address it in my post on that chapter. Chapter 23 as well. So why does this chapter suddenly cast the others into such light? Because most people cannot hear the Tao, and because they can't they see paradox. If they understood the principle of reversion, the paradoxes would no longer seem to be such.

Am I the average sort of man? I think I probably am. I would like to be in accord with the Tao. There are times I think it fits with the way that I see the world better than Buddhism, but the lack of exploration dismays me. My understanding is imperfect.

I do understand that honors are just as troublesome as dishonor. I do understand that not every good thing appears to be a good thing at first glance.

I do know that the greatest genius takes years to hone and grow. The wild talent of a youth is nothing to the genius displayed after she has honed her talent for twenty years.

Heck, Lao Tzu even includes good multimedia advice: keep your radio down low for better sound quality. I'm not sure he meant it that way, but the Tao brings all things to perfection.