How to live on the Highway: Integrity from Tao Te Ching.

How to live on the Highway: Integrity from Tao Te Ching.

“A skilled warrior does not rush ahead of others. A skilled fighter does not make a show of anger. A skilled victory does not seek revenge. A skilled employer does not act superior. This is known as the virtue of not competing. This is known as making use of the abilities of others. This is known as being united with heaven as it was in ancient times.”¹

A safe and skilled driver should never compete with others on the road. People do on the road will not always do what that driver predicts or expects. When I was 18 at home in Canada, I had one minor collision between two cars, driving one of them. The other vehicle had family members, whom challenged me and others in my vehicle to a race for our destination. I followed the rules of the road with care to the parking-lot where a line-up formed towards a separate destination, in a lane with a broken yellow-line. With no on-coming traffic or turning-signals visible, I chose to move out from the line-up and drive beyond it, to win the competition. My relative’s vehicle made an unexpected turn, my reaction was to turn aside immediately and avoid them, yet we collided together. Nobody was hurt, neither were the vehicles insufficient to drive.

By the book, no major laws were broken, yet this does not excuse a poor decision which I made. In those moments, I was confident behind the wheel and accepted competition. Instead of rushing ahead to appear better, superior, I should have been content with arriving there and known when to stop.

Driving safely on a road is a simple concept that many people learn, yet easily forget. When people drive angry, in a rush, or believe their purpose has the only importance, they forget about driving safely. New drivers, or anyone behind the wheel need to put their own importance aside. They should watch for dangers from another person’s actions and make safe decisions, accordingly. In a separate experience, while driving along a highway a vehicle behind my own moved across a solid yellow line with an oncoming semi-truck. While it sped-up, I responded by slowing down, choosing to follow responsibility and awareness to avoid accidents from someone else’s recklessness.

Here, I was aware and avoided a major crash from a separate person’s error. Unlike my only accident where I rushed ahead, competing, and made a harmful choice.

“Your integrity or your body: which is more important? Your body or your possessions: which is worth more? Gain or loss: which is more harmful. Thus it is that the miser will pay much. The hoarder will suffer great loss. Be content with what you have and you will not be disgraced. Know when to stop and you will be preserved from danger. Only in this way will you long endure.”²