Common Themes of Society Today and Poem 3

There is a theme of avoiding excess in Poem 3 of "Tao Te Ching Lao-Tzu" that relates to how people in American society are hurt by excess. The author states, " By weakening ambitions and strtengthening bones; leads people away from knowing and wanting"(Chou 3). Chou means that if we want less, they will not be dissapointed if they do not recieve things. People in american culture would be happier if the did not desire as much material goods. We would not be disapointed when we would not recieve things because we would not expect them.