Zhuangzi sighed at a big tree in the forest that escaped the destiny of being chopped due to its uselessness. He said, "it is its uselessness that the tree could have the chance to enjoy its natural span of life."

　　At that night, zhuangzi's friend killed the wild goose that was not able to utter any sound in his home to fete Zhuangzi and his disciples1. Seeing this, the disciples asked, "Master, the tree in the forest survived due to its uselessness, while the goose lost its life because of its disability. So what kind of attitude shall we take toward this capricious world?"

　　"Choose to be somewhere between usefulness and uselessness! But it is very difficult to tell the threshold between them and not in accordance with the rules of life. Therefore, a person always will be cumbered with something." Zhuangzi answered.

　　莊子對著山中一棵因大而無用而免遭砍伐的大叔嘆息說：“這棵樹恰巧由其不成材而享有天年。”

　　晚間，莊子的友人殺掉家中那只不會叫的雁來款待莊子師徒。見此情景，學生們問道:“老師，山里的大樹因無用而活下來，家養(yǎng)的雁卻由于不會而喪失性命，我們將采取什么態(tài)度來對待這繁復無序的人世？”

　　莊子回答說：“還是選擇有用和無用之間吧！有用無用之間的分寸太難把握，而且也不符合人生的規(guī)律，因而人活著難免有拖累。”