具备“上德”的人不表现为外在的有德，因此实际上是有“德”；具备“下德”的人表现为外在的不离失“道”，因此实际是没有“德”的。“上德”之人顺应自然无心作为，“下德”之人顺应自然而有心作为。上仁之人要有所作为却没有回应他，于是就扬着胳膊强引别人。所以，失去了“道”而后才有“德”，失去了“德”而后才有“仁”，失去了“仁”而后才有“义”，失去了义而后才有礼。“礼”这个东西，是忠信不足的产物，而且是祸乱的开端。所谓“先知”，不过是“道”的虚华，由此愚昧开始产生。所以大丈夫立身敦厚，不居于浇薄；存心朴实，不居于虚华。所以要舍弃浇薄虚华而采取朴实敦厚。
第三十八章
上德不德，
是以有德。
下德不失德，
是以无德。
上德无为而无以为。
下德无为而有以为。
上仁为之而无以为。
上义为之而有以为。
上礼为之而莫之以应，
则攘臂而扔之。
故
失道而后德，
失德而后仁，
失仁而后义，
失义而后礼。
夫礼者，
忠信之薄而乱之首。
前识者，
道之华而愚之始。
是以大丈夫，
处其厚，不居其薄。
处其实，不居其华。
故去彼取此。
Chapter 38
A man of the great virtue (Teh)
does not claim to be of virtue,
Thus he is of the true virtue.
A man of the small virtue
always hold fast to the virtue in form,
Thus he is actually of no virtue.
A man of the great virtue remains inactive
Without deliberately manifesting his virtue;
A man of the small benevolence
keeps being active,
Always deliberately manifesting his virtue.
A man of the great benevolence acts
but never deliberately shows his benevolence;
A man of great justice acts
and also deliberately shows his justice.
A man of rigid rites acts
and even rolls up his sleeves
to force people to conform to rites
when no one responds to him.
Therefore
Virtue comes after the loss of Tao;
Benevolence comes after the loss of virtue;
Justice comes after the loss of benevolence;
Rites come after the loss of justice.
Thus rites result from the lack of loyalty and good faith,
And function as the beginning of great disorder.
Foresight is only the flowery embellishment of Tao
As well as the beginning of ignorance.
Hence the true man sets store by the thick rather than by the thin,
And values the fruit rather than the flower.
That is why he takes the former and discards the latter.
