Quotes by Lao-Tzu

"Manifest plainness, embrace simplicity, reduce selfishness, have few desires."

Lao-Tzu on desire
6 fans of this quote   

"People in their handlings of affairs often fail when they are about to succeed. If one remains as careful at the end as he was at the beginning, there will be no failure."

Lao-Tzu on failure
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"Favor and disgrace are like fear. Favor is in a higher place, and disgrace in a lower place. When you win them you are like being in fear, and when you lose them you are also like being in fear. So favor and disgrace are like fear."

Lao-Tzu on fear   

"To see things in the seed is genius."

Lao-Tzu on genius
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"If you would take, you must first give, this is the beginning of intelligence."

Lao-Tzu on giving
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"He who obtains has little. He who scatters has much."

Lao-Tzu on giving   

"He who tip-toes cannot stand; he who strides cannot walk."

Lao-Tzu on ambition   

"Of the best rulers, The people only know that they exist; the next best they love and praise the next they fear; and the next they revile. When they do not command the people's faith, some will lose faith in them, and then they resort to oaths! But of the best when their task is accomplished, their work done, the people all remark, We have done it ourselves."

Lao-Tzu on government   

"A tree trunk the size of a man grows from a blade as thin as a hair. A tower nine stories high is built from a small heap of earth."

Lao-Tzu on growth
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"Seek not happiness too greedily, and be not fearful of unhappiness."

Lao-Tzu on happiness
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"Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love."

Lao-Tzu on kindness
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"To know yet to think that one does not know is best; Not to know yet to think that one knows will lead to difficulty."

Lao-Tzu on knowledge
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"A leader is best when people barely know he exists, not so good when people obey and acclaim him, worse when they despise him. But of a good leader who talks little when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: We did it ourselves."

Lao-Tzu on leadership
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"When the best leader's work is done the people say, We did it ourselves."

Lao-Tzu on leadership   

"I have three precious things which I hold fast and prize. The first is gentleness; the second is frugality; the third is humility, which keeps me from putting myself before others. Be gentle and you can be bold; be frugal and you can be liberal; avoid putting yourself before others and you can become a leader among men."

Lao-Tzu on leadership
4 fans of this quote   

"To lead people walk behind them."

Lao-Tzu on leadership
6 fans of this quote   

"The wicked leader is he who the people despise. The good leader is he who the people revere. The great leader is he who the people say, We did it ourselves."

Lao-Tzu on leadership
5 fans of this quote   

"It is the Vague and Elusive. Meet it and you will not see its head. Follow it and you will not see its back."

Lao-Tzu on leadership   

"Darkness within darkness. The gateway to all understanding."

Lao-Tzu on life
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"The sage does not hoard. Having bestowed all he has on others, he has yet more; having given all he has to others, he is richer still."

Lao-Tzu on misers and misery   

"When virtue is lost, benevolence appears, when benevolence is lost right conduct appears, when right conduct is lost, expedience appears. Expediency is the mere shadow of right and truth; it is the beginning of disorder."

Lao-Tzu on morality
4 fans of this quote   

"Nature is not human hearted."

Lao-Tzu on nature   

"When a nation is filled with strife, then do patriots flourish."

Lao-Tzu on patriotism   

"A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent upon arriving. A good artist lets his intuition lead him wherever it wants."

Lao-Tzu on art
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"By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond the winning."

Lao-Tzu on attachment
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"For the wise man looks into space and he knows there is no limited dimensions."

Lao-Tzu on potential   

"Nothing in the world is more flexible and yielding than water. Yet when it attacks the firm and the strong, none can withstand it, because they have no way to change it. So the flexible overcome the adamant, the yielding overcome the forceful. Everyone knows this, but no one can do it."

Lao-Tzu on power
11 fans of this quote   

"He who gains a victory over other men is strong; but he who gains a victory over himself is all powerful."

Lao-Tzu on power
3 fans of this quote   

"Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength, mastering yourself is true power."

Lao-Tzu on power
8 fans of this quote   

"He who is contented is rich."

Lao-Tzu on riches
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"He who knows he has enough is rich."

Lao-Tzu on riches   

"He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough."

Lao-Tzu on action
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"He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still."

Lao-Tzu on self-control
7 fans of this quote   

"He who knows others is clever; He who knows himself has discernment."

Lao-Tzu on knowledge
6 fans of this quote   

"The snow goose need not bathe to make itself white. Neither need you do anything but be yourself."

Lao-Tzu on love
8 fans of this quote   

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

Lao-Tzu on beginning
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"Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them -- that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like."

Lao-Tzu on change
9 fans of this quote   

"All difficult things have their origin in that which is easy, and great things in that which is small."

Lao-Tzu on things and little things   

"Without stirring abroad, one can know the whole world; Without looking out of the window one can see the way of heaven. The further one goes the less one knows."

Lao-Tzu on travel   

"The power of intuitive understanding will protect you from harm until the end of your days."

Lao-Tzu on understanding
4 fans of this quote