I feel like I don’t know how to be a functioning person who is able to do all the things I have to do to survive in this capitalistic system. Got any advice from your book for that?
Well, there's plenty of anti-capitalist sentiment to be found in the Tao Te Ching, but since you and I aren't exactly in control of that aspect of society, here's some things for your own peace of mind:
"Because she [the Taoist Master] wants nothing from the world, the world cannot overcome her."
"Embrace simplicity. Put others first. Desire little."
We may not have control over what the world demands of us, but we do control what we demand of the world. A lot of the way modern capitalism controls us is by manufacturing necessity, manufacturing need. It makes us feel that we never have enough, not because it's true but because the system needs us to need more.
In terms of managing how those systems are able to impact us, emotionally, I have a bit of advice from outside the Tao Te Ching that I think are worth adding:
“When someone else’s behavior or words, intended to injure or not, can cause you to become angry, you’ve given away your power to that person to control how you feel [...] when you give away your power, it’s because whomever you gave it to somehow removed your sense of self-worth." - Tom Hanratty
“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” - Alice Walker
In terms of more practical strategies for dealing with daily stressors, I'd refer you to the first part of Tao Te Ching, passage 64:
"Things are easier to control while things are quiet.
Things are easier to plan far in advance.
Things break easier while they are still brittle.
Things are easier hid while they are still small.
Prevent problems before they arise.
Take action before things get out of hand.
The tallest tree begins as a tiny sprout.
The tallest building starts with one shovel of dirt.
A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single footstep."
In other words, focus on small, manageable actions and don't overwhelm yourself with the bigger picture. Most things are not nearly as dire as we perceive them to be.
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