The real trouble here isn't that we cling to who we are—it's that we confuse our current self with our actual nature, treating temporary habits and fears as permanent fixtures. Lao Tzu suggests something far subtler than mere self-improvement: that our fixed identity itself is the obstacle, not something to polish or optimize. A person stuck in a dead career doesn't need a better résumé; they need to release the story they've been telling themselves about being "the accountant" or "the cautious one" before they can even imagine what else they're capable of becoming. The relinquishment comes first; the possibility arrives afterward.