It’s typical of a vulgar person that he never looks to himself for help or harm, but to externals. The sage instead looks only himself for help or harm. The marks of someone who’s making progress are the following: he criticizes no one, praises no one, blames no one, says nothing about himself as being anyone or knowing anything; when he’s held back, he blames himself; if he’s praised, he inwardly laughs at the praiser, and if he’s censured, he makes no defense. He acts like someone who’s recovering from an injury, taking care to put no pressure on anything that’s not yet firmly healed. He stops making demands, and moderates his desires. He tries to avoid only what he can avoid that might interfere with his principles. If he looks stupid or ignorant, he doesn’t mind, and he keeps a close eye on himself as though he were an enemy waiting in ambush.