Tao Te Ching – Chapter Seventy-Five
Written by Lao-tzu – From a translation by S. Mitchell
When taxes are too high,
people go hungry.
When the government is too intrusive,
people lose their spirit.
Act for the people's benefit.
Trust them; leave them alone.
How I Read This Chapter
When demands are heavy,
the soul grows tired.
When control is constant,
the spirit retreats.
True leadership uplifts,
not oppresses.
It trusts.
It lets go.
It serves quietly,
without needing to command.
The wise walk with others,
not ahead of them.
What This Means To Me
This chapter reminds me of how I used to treat myself – and how, in some ways, I still can if I’m not careful.
In addiction, I was my own harsh ruler. I taxed myself with impossible expectations: Be strong. Be perfect. Don’t feel. Don’t fail. When I broke under that pressure, I drank to escape the weight I had placed upon myself. And the more I tried to control my behaviour through willpower or shame, the further I drifted from my spirit.
Recovery has been a process of learning how to live differently – not by forcing change, but by creating the space for healing to happen. This passage reminds me that growth can’t be commanded, only nurtured. My spirit doesn’t respond to pressure; it responds to permission – to be honest, to rest, to be human.
“When the government is too intrusive, people lose their spirit.” That line speaks to me on multiple levels. It reminds me how external control – whether from others or institutions – can crush something vital inside us. But it also calls out the inner dictator I used to be: the one who tried to govern every emotion, edit every flaw, manage every outcome.
In early recovery, I wanted to micromanage my sobriety. I overthought every feeling. I measured my progress constantly. But the more I clamped down, the less I felt alive. Eventually, I began to trust the Steps, my sponsor, my Higher Power. I stopped trying to force change, and began to live into it.
“Act for the people’s benefit. Trust them; leave them alone.” That is a powerful reminder for how I sponsor others, parent my children, or even treat myself today. I don’t need to fix people. I don’t need to hover. I don’t need to push.
True love holds space. True wisdom listens. True trust steps back.
This also echoes the ethos of the fellowship. No one tells you what to do. You’re simply invited in. And somehow, in that gentle space of shared humanity, transformation happens. Not through pressure. Through presence.
I’m learning to lead myself that way now – to guide with compassion, not criticism. To offer trust, not threat. To believe in my own goodness and allow room for grace.
Because when I leave space, my spirit rises. When I let go of the need to control, something stronger than me takes the lead.
And that, for me, is recovery.
