Tao Te Ching Chapter 2: The Relativity of Beauty and Goodness｜Psychological Insights and a Scientist’s Perspective

Tao Te Ching Chapter 2: Relativity｜Original Text & Core Ideas

When everyone in the world knows beauty as beauty,

then ugliness already exists.

When everyone knows good as good,

then not-good already exists.

Being and non-being give birth to each other;

Difficult and easy complete each other;

Long and short contrast each other;

High and low incline toward each other;

Sound and tone harmonize with each other;

Front and back follow each other.

Therefore, the sage acts through non-action,

teaches without words.

He lets all things arise and does not interfere;

Creates life but does not possess;

Acts without seeking credit;

Achieves success and does not cling to it.

Because he does not claim success,

his achievements never fade.

This chapter is the foundation for understanding the relativity described in Tao Te Ching Chapter 2.

Plain-Language Interpretation

This chapter teaches that:

The moment we define “beauty,” we also create “ugliness.”

The moment we define “good,” “evil” is simultaneously born.

Everything exists only because its opposite exists:

• Being and non-being depend on each other

• Difficulty is known only because ease exists

• Long and short are recognized through comparison

• High and low reference each other

• Harmony requires contrast in sound

• Front and back are meaningful only in relation to one another

Laozi believed that facing this natural law, the sage—whether a leader or decision-maker—governs with wu wei (non-action).

Not by forcing, not by over-instructing, but by allowing things to unfold naturally.

By not boasting or claiming credit, one’s achievements endure.

A Biomedical Scientist’s Perspective｜Relativity as the Foundation of Science and Life

As a scientist, I often feel deeply that:

There is almost no absolute good or bad, right or wrong, beautiful or ugly—only context, contrast, and frameworks.

The “relativity” Laozi described is everywhere in science:

• Health and disease are simply different states on a physiological spectrum.

• “High risk” or “low risk” depends on how statistical models are constructed.

• “Normal range” in biomedicine is just an average derived from population distribution—not an absolute truth.

• Even whether a treatment is “effective” depends on patient subgroup, genetics, timing, and context.

Beauty and Ugliness: When the Frame Changes, the Value Changes

Returning to Chapter 2:

When we define “beauty,” we also create the existence of “ugliness.”

But these definitions are not facts—they are socially created through:

• Cultural norms

• Social expectations

• Aesthetic education

• Peer pressure and conformity

For example:

• Many people think a person in a suit looks professional, polite, and trustworthy.

• Yet how many dishonest people wear suits?

• And how many sanitation workers, construction workers, or delivery workers—without glamorous appearances—contribute to society in the most honest and essential ways?

If we evaluate people solely by “beauty” or appearances,

we simply create another form of discrimination.

Good and Evil: No Absolutes, Only Perspectives

Medical decision-making constantly reflects this:

A treatment may be “good” for one patient group,

but risky for another.

A health policy may benefit Group A,

but increase burdens on Group B.

Laozi reminds us:

Do not rush to label things as “good” or “evil,”

because defining one automatically creates the other.

A Psychological Lens: Framing Effect, Cognitive Bias, and the Wisdom of Non-Action

Laozi’s wu wei does not mean doing nothing—it means:

Not forcing one’s personal preferences or values onto others.

This aligns closely with modern psychology:

🧠 Framing Effect

How a question is presented shapes judgment.

Beauty and goodness are, fundamentally, frames.

🧠 Cognitive Bias

We judge quickly based on first impressions, labels, and appearances—

often missing the deeper reality.

🧠 Acceptance

Laozi’s wu wei resembles psychological acceptance—

not passive, but a way of seeing reality without distortion.

Application in Life and Leadership: Loosen Your Definitions, Expand Your Capacity

Life is not only good vs. evil, beauty vs. ugliness, right vs. wrong.

These binaries often create unnecessary suffering.

If we can:

• Broaden our definitions of beauty

• Let go of rigid “good vs. evil” categories

• See events from multiple angles

• Approach people with openness rather than judgment

We will experience fewer conflicts

and better understand others’ backgrounds and choices.

Perhaps our society would also have fewer “righteous crusaders”

imposing their personal standards on everyone else.

Conclusion

Tao Te Ching Chapter 2 does not teach us to abandon judgment.

It teaches us to see the world’s inherent relativity.

The stricter our definition of “beauty,”

the easier it is to create “ugliness.”

The more we cling to “good,”

the more opposition we generate.

Loosening definitions is maturity.

Not claiming credit is wisdom.

Understanding relativity is the beginning of clear perception.