Lao Tzu

Lao Tzu, who wrote the Tao Te Ching , reportedly said this:

When those who understand me are few, then I am of great value.

For some reason that seems so crass and commercial, assuming that you have something, some skill or wisdom worth understanding. It is somewhat at odds with L. Ron Hubbard's philosophy on holding on to wisdom:

I know no man who has any monopoly upon the wisdom of this universe. It belongs to those who can use it to help themselves and others.

(from Hubbard's article, "My Philosophy")

On the other hand, I realized that what I do (search engine optimization) requires an arcane knowledge of search engines, web design, information theory, cascading style sheets and HTML code, JavaScript, and a host of other subjects, and how they all relate together. It makes me glad that I disseminate everything I find out about my subject through my search engine optimization website. I get a lot of feedback from people who use the techniques that I discuss, and come out on top in the search engine rankings. It's gratifying--almost as gratifying as a fat check...