Man and boat

If a man is crossing a river

And an empty boat collides with his own skiff

Even though he be a bad-tempered man

He will not become very angry

But if he sees a man in a boat,

He will shout at him to steer clear

If his shout is not hear,

He will shout again

And yet again, and begin cursing

And all because there is somebody in the boat

Yet if the boat was empty,

He would not be shouting

And would not be angry

If you can empty your own boat

Crossing the river of the world,

No one will oppose you

No one will seek to harm you

- Chung Tzu