📖 Overview
This chapter warns about the dangers of talent without wisdom. Its most famous story is about Cao Shang, who is sent as an envoy and returns with a fleet of carriages, proud of his success. Zhuangzi warns him: 'A man who gained favor through small skills will lose everything when the tides turn.'
🏮 Famous Stories & Parables
🏮 The Dragon-Slayer
A man spends his entire fortune learning the art of slaying dragons — every technique, every weapon. He returns home, triumphant, only to discover there are no dragons to slay. Grand skills with no practical application are the ultimate waste.
🏮 Cao Shang's Fleet
Cao Shang is sent as an envoy and returns with a hundred carriages, proud of his diplomatic success. Zhuangzi warns: 'The king gave you carriages for your face, not your mind. When your face fades, so will your fortune.'