8 - Like Water

The highest goodness is like water. Water is good at benefiting the myriad things and quietly occupies the places hated by the masses; thus it is near to the Way. Abodes are made good by their place, minds are made good by their depth, predictions are made good by the heavens, speech is made good by its trustfulness, governing is made good by its administration, tasks are made good by ability, movement is made good by timing. It is only by not competing, thus there is no fault.

上善若水。 水善利萬物而有靜， 居衆人之所惡， 故幾於道。 居善地，心善淵， 予善天，言善信， 正善治，事善能， 動善時。 夫唯不爭，故無尤。

This chapter uses water as a metaphor for the Way. Water helps all, and yet is quiet and non-competitive in its demeanor. By not competing, and by being cognizant about the subtle paired qualities that enable success, there can be success.

For cultivators, "discarding the self" and not competing (losing in order to learn) is a prerequisite for training many skills, such as taijiquan push hands skills.