Protect Your Noggin

12. Focusing on flashy things  blinds eyes to beauty.  Listening to a cacophony of voices makes it hard to hear the truth. Too many spices will dull your taste buds. Lust for luxury will drive you mad. Riches entice men to evil deeds.   Therefore, the Sage attends to essential nourishment instead of mind-numbing diversions. She selects healthy food, ignoring empty calories.   Reflection This chapter is especially relevant to our marriage. My (Jeff here) personality type is such that I love constant stimulation, spicy foods, loud music, and extroverted experiences. These can be fine for a time, but they definitely can overstimulate Stacie. Moreover, this chapter teaches that despite my penchant for overstimulation, I’m at my healthiest when I focus. It’s not that I need to lose flavor. Lao Tzu is saying that my problem might be that I’m failing to focus on the simple but deep flavors all around me. This can be understood in an emotional, professional, or spiritual way. But it is also literally true. I sometime