Quotations by Lao Tzu
Lao Tzu was a 4th century BCE Taoist author and thinker. Very little is known about his actual life, but what we do know is that he was an incredible mind and has been very important to the revolution of philosophy in both ancient and more modern times when scholars began re-reading his works. He is seen as a forefather to Taosim. Read many of his great quotes below.
Seek not happiness too greedily, and be not fearful of happiness.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
People are difficult to govern because they have too much knowledge.
To be worn out is to be renewed.
A good manager is best when people barely know that he exists. Not so good when people obey and acclaim him. Worse when they despise him.
Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.
The softest things in the world to overcome the hardest things in the world.
He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough.
Learning builds daily accumulation, but the prictice of Tao builds daily simplification. Simplify and simplify, until all contamination from relative, contridictory thinking is eliminated. Then one does nothing, yet nothing is left undone. One who wins the world does so by not meddling with it. One who meddles with the world loses it.
Arms are instruments of ill omen.... When one is compelled to use them, it is best to do so without relish. There is no glory in victory, and to glorify it despite this is to exult in the killing of men.... When great numbers of people are killed, one should weep over them with sorrow. When victorious in war, one should observe mourning rites.
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