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Knowing when you have enough protects you from the humiliations that chase those who always want more.

Lao Zi · Cartea despre Dao și Virtute · -400 · capitolul 441 minute readpublic domain
He who knows when he has enough will not be humiliated.Lao Zi · Cartea despre Dao și Virtute · -400 · capitolul 44

Whoever knows their limit of enough cannot be held hostage by desire.

Humiliation usually comes from endless wanting: whoever wants more than he has makes compromises, takes on debts, and becomes dependent on those who can grant or withdraw what he craves. Knowing your limit is a form of independence. A manager who turns down a promotion that would force him to betray his values stays master of his life, while the colleague who accepts anything for more becomes hostage to the position.

Why it mattersUseful in decisions about money, career, and status, when the pressure to accumulate makes you forget what is actually enough.

Always wantsmoreHostage todesireKnows enough
The spectrum from endless desire to the independence of known limits

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