Daodejing Chapter 13: whenever favour is bestowed

Favour and disgrace
Are both cause for alarm.
High rank
Brings great trouble to self.
Favour and disgrace
Are both cause for alarm.
What does this mean?
Whenever favour is bestowed
Gaining it is a cause for alarm.
Losing it is a cause for alarm.
That is why favour and disgrace
Are both cause for alarm.
High rank
Brings great trouble to self.
What does this mean?
I will suffer great trouble
From high rank
Because I have self.
If I did not have self,
What trouble would I have?
If you cherish
All-under-heaven
As much as self
You can be trusted
To govern it.
If you love
All-under-heaven
As much as self
You can be trusted
To take care of it.

「寵辱若驚，貴大患若身。何謂寵辱若驚？寵為下，得之若驚，失之若驚，是謂寵辱若驚。何謂貴大患若身？吾所以有大患者，為吾有身。及吾無身，吾有何患？故貴以身為天下，若可寄天下；愛以身為天下，若可託天下。」

An official career in the feudal courts of ancient China was not for the faint-hearted. Even if you managed to secure a high-level position, you were at constant risk of being dismissed or even losing your head at the capricious whim of the ruler you worked for (not to mention being stabbed in the back by a jealous rival). This is the reason why Laozi describes both favour and disgrace as being a cause for alarm, and high rank as a source of great trouble.

The best way to avoid the problems associated with favour, disgrace, and status, is to free yourself from the burdens of ego and ambition though the practice of wuwei, or effortless action.

Note
I took this image at Longhu (Dragon Tiger) Mountain, a famous Daoist site about ten miles south of Yingtan in Jiangxi Province. A great place to visit!