# Intimidation and practical burdens: summary

Considers responses to authority and warns against oppressing people’s place and livelihood.

https://sakimyto.com/en/classics/laozi/chapter-72-intimidation-and-practical-burdens

## Source and summary

[Laozi · Dao De Jing · Intimidation and practical burdens](https://zh.wikisource.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%81%93%E5%BE%B7%E7%B6%93%20%28%E7%8E%8B%E5%BC%BC%E6%9C%AC%29&oldid=2354026#%E4%B8%83%E5%8D%81%E4%BA%8C%E7%AB%A0)

> 民不畏威，則大威至。無狎其所居，無厭其所生。

Considers responses to authority and warns against oppressing people’s place and livelihood.

## Editorial interpretation

The example below adapts this chapter’s questions to modern work. Evaluate it against the actual purpose and conditions; ancient politics, warfare or ethics do not establish business results.

## Business application

Measure time spent reporting and seeking approval and consider reductions when management demands crowd out work.

1. Choose one relevant case and record its objective, available resources, verified facts and unknowns.
2. Compare options using this chapter’s perspective; choose a limited trial, owner, deadline and a measure to assess the result.

Deliverable: A comparison using intimidation and practical burdens, with conditions for acting or declining.

## Limits

The summary selects main points rather than translating every sentence. The example is not a demonstrated business method; check it against stakeholders’ conditions and actual evidence.

## Validation question

How does this chapter’s perspective change the selected option or priority, and what further evidence could change the decision?

[Laozi: a guide to the Dao De Jing](https://sakimyto.com/en/classics/laozi)

[This material](https://sakimyto.com/classics-data/entries/laozi/chapter-72-intimidation-and-practical-burdens.en.md)

Updated: 2026-10-13 · v1.0.0