Chapter 38

上德不德，是以有德；
下德不失德，是以無德。
上德無為而無以為；
下德無為而有以為。
上仁為之而無以為；
上義為之而有以為。
上禮為之而莫之應，則攘臂而扔之。
故失道而後德，失德而後仁，失仁而後義，失義而後禮。
夫禮者，忠信之薄，而亂之首。
前識者，道之華，而愚之始。
是以大丈夫處其厚，不居其薄；
處其實，不居其華。
故去彼取此。

High virtue does not count itself virtue, and so it has virtue;
low virtue does not let go of virtue, and so it has no virtue.
High virtue does nothing and has no purpose in doing;
low virtue does nothing yet has a purpose in doing.
High humaneness acts yet has no purpose in acting;
high rightness acts and has a purpose in acting.
High ritual acts, and when no one responds, it rolls up its sleeves and drags them to it.
So when the Way is lost, there is virtue; when virtue is lost, there is humaneness; when humaneness is lost, there is rightness; when rightness is lost, there is ritual.
Ritual is the thinning of loyalty and trust, and the head of disorder.
Foreknowledge is the flower of the Way, and the beginning of folly.
That is why the great man keeps to the thick, not the thin;
keeps to the fruit, not the flower.
So he discards that and takes this.