Lao Tzu: The Quiet Art of Letting Go After 60 | A Lighter Life

#LettingGo #TaoTeChing #LaoTzu Why letting go of a box you never open is harder now, and the one question that decides it. We start with Tao Te Ching chapter 44, in Legge's translation. That box on the top shelf isn't there because you forgot to sort it. The usual test, do I still use it, works on old shoes and stops working on that one box. We read chapter 44 of the Tao Te Ching in James Legge's translation (1891), and a story from the Zhuangzi about a huge oak that a craftsman calls useless. Then we see what psychologist Laura Carstensen's theory says about time, and put one question to the box, out loud. Nothing in those texts or that research is about keepsake boxes. That step is ours, and the video says so. 0:00 Letting go of things after 60 0:29 Tao Te Ching chapter 44 (Legge translation) 1:43 Sentimental items: why "do I still use it?" fails 2:52 The one question to ask about a keepsake 4:07 Why a keepsake box feels so heavy 5:04 The useless tree story (Zhuangzi) 6:57 Why it is so hard to let go of sentimental things 8:18 Why keepsakes weigh more as we age 9:18 Who are you keeping it for? 10:28 Keep it or let it go: how to decide 11:10 How to start letting go of sentimental things This video is for reflection and education. It is not medical, psychological, legal or financial advice, and it does not diagnose or treat anything. The Tao Te Ching and the Zhuangzi are read here as philosophical texts, in a public-domain translation; applying them to a box on your shelf is our own step. If thinking about a loss feels heavier than you expected, it is worth talking with someone who knows you or with a licensed professional. SOURCES Laozi (attributed) · Tao Te Ching · chapter 44 · James Legge translation, The Texts of Taoism, Part I (Sacred Books of the East, vol. 39), Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1891 · Zhuangzi (attributed) · Book IV, paragraph 6, the oak and the master craftsman · James Legge translation, The Texts of Taoism, Part I (Sacred Books of the East, vol. 39), 1891 · Laura L. Carstensen and Hal E. Hershfield · "Beyond Stereotypes: Using Socioemotional Selectivity Theory to Improve Messaging to Older Adults" · Current Directions in Psychological Science 30(4), 327-334, 2021 · James Legge (1815-1897), first Professor of Chinese at Oxford · Found a mistake in our sources? Say so in the comments and we'll fix it here. #LettingGo #TaoTeChing #LaoTzu #Taoism #SentimentalItems