The art of ceasing to teach
Me-ti said: Every teacher must learn how to stop teaching, when the time comes. That is a difficult art. Only a few are able, when the time is right, to allow reality to take their place. Only a few know when they have taught enough. Naturally, it's difficult to watch how the student, whom you've tried to save from making your own mistakes, now makes such mistakes. Difficult as it is, not to get advice, it's just as difficult, not to be allowed to give any.
Concealing failings
Me-ti said: The worst is not having failings, not even not resisting them is bad. What's bad is concealing them. Not to seem what you are, that's unfor- tunate for yourself. To seem what you are not is unfortunate for others. How should anyone go into battle at your side, if you haven't shown them your failings? The effort of appearing to be what you are not already exhausts all your energy for the fight. You're afraid, for example, that your friend might reject you, if he knew you're a coward. But what he needs to fear are only the consequences of your cowardice. He can avoid them better than you can provided he knows about your cowardice. Even someone who tells lies must at least make his best friends aware of it; he's not allowed to lie about that.
-Brecht (Me-ti)
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