This quote is so symbolic of the way Chuang Tzu feels about the world around him. Simple men, who keep to the constraints of their life and what is expected of them by society become "petty." They have no real understanding of the earth and of nature. They don't understand themselves or their purpose of survival on earth. They believe that survival includes competition for little mindless things. These things will not make men better humans, just ignorant to everything around them. They waste their minds and their talents. Men who are constrained don't even find their talents, let alone use them to their full potential. They hold onto meaningless things, that in the end will not help them better themselves. Becoming consumed makes these men fear things they should not, and worship things that symbolize nothingness.

It is fascinating that he believes, or at least presents us with the idea that everything around us could be a dream. "Someday there will be a great awakening when we know that this is all a great dream. Yet the stupid believe they are awake....assuming they understand things...how dense." (44) This is linked to the above quote by the means that people presume to know all about the earth. People assume that this life is the only life to lead, and the way in which they are living it is correct. He shows an interesting perspective with this theory. That everything we, as humans, believe to be reality, could be a "great dream." He explains that "stupid people" take the world for granted. They don't question other possibilities, or other trains of thought because they are "dense." Chuang Tzu tells us to "Forget the years; forget the distinctions. Leap into the boundless and make it your home." (44)

This emphasis on acceptance of nature is a trend throughout his entire writings. All of these emotions that people let overtake their spirit and attitude are useless. They do not help man, they only hinder him. Chunag Tzu teaches that people can be at peace if they live life without these annoying personality traits. Emotions like "anger", "worry", and "regret" get the better of man, they control his actions and his view of the world around him. Whether it makes him insecure or overconfident, these emotions he describes as "empty." We should just accept what is given to us by the gods and live with what is naturally bestowed upon us.

As a philosopher, Chuang Tzu has been under attack from the beginning. It has been said that "scholars at the time could neither figure out what to do with him nor overlook his caustic attack on their root assumptions."(Wu, 2) He has been misunderstood from the beginning. Critics are always condemning him, and not fully understanding what he is trying to hear. His critics can be often heard describing him as a "skeptic, nihilist, fatalist, relativist, and even an evolutionist...In other words, Chuang Tzu is a queer mystical negativist, an obscure prankster, who is not worth taking seriously." (Wu, 2)

Section two, "Discussion on Making All Things Equal" criticizes society and what effects it has on people. Chuang Tzu believes that society can be detrimental to the human spirit. There is so much that drains the everyday person, so much that conquers them. So many expectations drag people away from an easy, spiritual life.

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 3248
Approximate Pages = 13 (250 words per page double spaced)