In the Tao Te Ching poem book a quote that stood out to me was, “Accept country’s filth and and become master of its sacred soil” (Addiss, Lombardo). I interpreted this quote by understanding that one may view something in a completely different opinion than someone else. In this example the author is claiming that some may view soil as filthy and some may view it as sacred (showing that an opinion may be subject to change as well).
In my own life I have seen this in a variety of ways. My least favorite food is muscles as the texture look has always made me queasy. Every Christmas Eve this dish is a staple in my family as my great aunt always cooks it as a special meal. As I cringe in disgust my family devours the muscles, savoring every bite. Even though I have always said I will never try this dish, I might feel differently about the dish after trying it.
Another life example that comes to mind is my love for country music. Even though I am a fan of much music, many people tend to dislike this genre that I enjoy. While eating dinner with my roommate tonight she said, “Country music sounds like nails on a chalkboard.” Besides country music, many have various opinions on music showing no one has the exact same liking of things. The books quote stands true in all aspects of life, proving we must be accepting of everyones differences.