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
Beginning, Will, About, Remains
Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is Enlightenment.
- Lao Tzu
Wisdom, Enlightenment, Knowing
At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.
- Lao Tzu
Want, Know, Center, Answer
The snow goose need not bathe to make itself white. Neither need you do anything but be yourself.
- Lao Tzu
White, Bathe, Itself, Goose
He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough.
- Lao Tzu
Enough, Will, Always, Knows
Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.
- Lao Tzu
Content, Nothing, Whole, Lacking
Manifest plainness, embrace simplicity, reduce selfishness, have few desires.
- Lao Tzu
Embrace, Desires, Reduce, Manifest
Anticipate the difficult by managing the easy.
- Lao Tzu
Easy, Difficult, Managing, Anticipate
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
Leader, Say, Great Leader, Wicked
In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple. In conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don't try to control. In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present.
- Lao Tzu
Work, Wisdom, Dwelling, Close
Respond intelligently even to unintelligent treatment.
- Lao Tzu
Treatment, Even, Respond
Of all that is good, sublimity is supreme. Succeeding is the coming together of all that is beautiful. Furtherance is the agreement of all that is just. Perseverance is the foundation of all actions.
- Lao Tzu
Good, Agreement, Supreme, Sublimity
Great indeed is the sublimity of the Creative, to which all beings owe their beginning and which permeates all heaven.
- Lao Tzu
Beginning, Which, Indeed, Sublimity
The sage does not hoard. The more he helps others, the more he benefits himself, The more he gives to others, the more he gets himself. The Way of Heaven does one good but never does one harm. The Way of the sage is to act but not to compete.
- Lao Tzu
Compete, Benefits, Hoard, Sage
The career of a sage is of two kinds: He is either honored by all in the world, Like a flower waving its head, Or else he disappears into the silent forest.
- Lao Tzu
Forest, Career, Silent, Sage
Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it.
- Lao Tzu
Nothing, More, Than, Flexible
Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill. Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt.
- Lao Tzu
Will, Knife, Spill, Brim
A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.
- Lao Tzu
Travel, Plans, Traveler, Intent
Love is of all passions the strongest, for it attacks simultaneously the head, the heart and the senses.
- Lao Tzu
Love, Head, Attacks, Love Is
From wonder into wonder existence opens.
- Lao Tzu
Wonder, Existence, Opens
The key to growth is the introduction of higher dimensions of consciousness into our awareness.
- Lao Tzu
Awareness, Consciousness, Key
He who conquers others is strong; He who conquers himself is mighty.
- Lao Tzu
Strength, Strong, Himself, Conquers
Govern a great nation as you would cook a small fish. Do not overdo it.
- Lao Tzu
Small, Govern, Would, Overdo
If you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will try to hold on to. If you are not afraid of dying, there is nothing you cannot achieve.
- Lao Tzu
Change, Will, Achieve, All Things
A scholar who cherishes the love of comfort is not fit to be deemed a scholar.
- Lao Tzu
Love, Fit, Deemed, Scholar
He who knows others is wise. He who knows himself is enlightened.
- Lao Tzu
Wise, Himself, He, Enlightened
Governing a great nation is like cooking a small fish - too much handling will spoil it.
- Lao Tzu
Government, Small, Nation, Great Nation
If the Great Way perishes there will morality and duty. When cleverness and knowledge arise great lies will flourish. When relatives fall out with one another there will be filial duty and love. When states are in confusion there will be faithful servants.
- Lao Tzu
Love, Another, Great Way, Relatives
In the world there is nothing more submissive and weak than water. Yet for attacking that which is hard and strong nothing can surpass it.
- Lao Tzu
Strong, More, Which, Submissive
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
Life, Natural, Like, Flow
Man's enemies are not demons, but human beings like himself.
- Lao Tzu
Human Beings, Himself, Like, Demons
Ambition has one heel nailed in well, though she stretch her fingers to touch the heavens.
- Lao Tzu
She, Stretch, Though, Heel
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
Beginning, Shadow, Appears, Right Conduct
If you keep feeling a point that has been sharpened, the point cannot long preserve its sharpness.
- Lao Tzu
Been, Keep, Sharpened, Sharpness
Truthful words are not beautiful; beautiful words are not truthful. Good words are not persuasive; persuasive words are not good.
- Lao Tzu
Communication, Persuasive, Truthful
Treat those who are good with goodness, and also treat those who are not good with goodness. Thus goodness is attained. Be honest to those who are honest, and be also honest to those who are not honest. Thus honesty is attained.
- Lao Tzu
Good, Treat, Thus, Attained
How could man rejoice in victory and delight in the slaughter of men?
- Lao Tzu
Victory, How, Could, Delight
The more laws and order are made prominent, the more thieves and robbers there will be.
- Lao Tzu
Will, Laws, Prominent, Thieves
He who knows himself is enlightened.
- Lao Tzu
Himself, He, Who, Enlightened
All things in the world come from being. And being comes from non-being.
- Lao Tzu
World, Come, Things, All Things
The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao; the name that can be named is not the eternal name. The Nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth; the Named is the mother of all things.
- Lao Tzu
Heaven, Origin, Named, All Things
Life and death are one thread, the same line viewed from different sides.
- Lao Tzu
Death, Thread, Line, Different Sides
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
Goes, Abroad, Whole, Stirring
When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.
- Lao Tzu
I Am, Go, Might, Let Go
The power of intuitive understanding will protect you from harm until the end of your days.
- Lao Tzu
Understanding, Will, Harm, Intuitive
When a nation is filled with strife, then do patriots flourish.
- Lao Tzu
Patriotism, Nation, Strife, Flourish
He who does not trust enough, Will not be trusted.
- Lao Tzu
Trust, Will, Does, Trusted
An ant on the move does more than a dozing ox.
- Lao Tzu
Ant, Move, Does, Ox
To realize that you do not understand is a virtue; Not to realize that you do not understand is a defect.
- Lao Tzu
Virtue, Understand, Defect, Realize
Because of a great love, one is courageous.
- Lao Tzu
Love, Great, Courageous, Great Love
One who is too insistent on his own views, finds few to agree with him.
- Lao Tzu
His, Finds, Too, Views
The higher the sun ariseth, the less shadow doth he cast; even so the greater is the goodness, the less doth it covet praise; yet cannot avoid its rewards in honours.
- Lao Tzu
Sun, Shadow, Less, Rewards
He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still.
- Lao Tzu
Controls, Himself, Still, Mightier
One can not reflect in streaming water. Only those who know internal peace can give it to others.
- Lao Tzu
Give, Reflect, Internal, Streaming
For the wise man looks into space and he knows there is no limited dimensions.
- Lao Tzu
Wise, Space, Looks, Wise Man
The wise man does not lay up his own treasures. The more he gives to others, the more he has for his own.
- Lao Tzu
Own, More, Lay, Wise Man
There was something undifferentiated and yet complete, which existed before Heaven and Earth. Soundless and formless, it depends on nothing and does not change. It operates everywhere and is free from danger. It may be considered the mother of the universe. I do not know its name; I call it Tao.
- Lao Tzu
Danger, Before, Considered, Complete
I do not concern myself with gods and spirits either good or evil nor do I serve any.
- Lao Tzu
Myself, Either, Nor, Evil
Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.
- Lao Tzu
Love, Loved, Loving, Gives
Heaven is long-enduring, and earth continues long. The reason why heaven and earth are able to endure and continue thus long is because they do not live of, or for, themselves.
- Lao Tzu
Reason, Why, Thus, Heaven
Man takes his law from the Earth; the Earth takes its law from Heaven; Heaven takes its law from the Tao. The law of the Tao is its being what it is.
- Lao Tzu
Law, Earth, His, Heaven
Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.
- Lao Tzu
Nature, Hurry, Does, Accomplished
When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everybody will respect you.
- Lao Tzu
Respect, Compete, Compare, Simply
A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.
- Lao Tzu
Leadership, Leader, Aim, Exists
Sincere words are not fine; fine words are not sincere.
- Lao Tzu
Words, Fine, Sincere
It is better to do one's own duty, however defective it may be, than to follow the duty of another, however well one may perform it. He who does his duty as his own nature reveals it, never sins.
- Lao Tzu
Nature, May, However, Sins
Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.
- Lao Tzu
Motivational, Journey, Small, Begin
He who knows, does not speak. He who speaks, does not know.
- Lao Tzu
Know, Does, Speaks, Knows
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
Think, Will, Difficulty, Knows
All difficult things have their origin in that which is easy, and great things in that which is small.
- Lao Tzu
Small, Origin, Which, Easy
Violence, even well intentioned, always rebounds upon oneself.
- Lao Tzu
Well, Always, Even, Violence
I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures.
- Lao Tzu
Wisdom, Simplicity, Teach, Treasures
Nature is not human hearted.
- Lao Tzu
Nature, Human, Hearted
The words of truth are always paradoxical.
- Lao Tzu
Truth, Words, Always, Paradoxical
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
Winning, Go, Done, Gets
Health is the greatest possession. Contentment is the greatest treasure. Confidence is the greatest friend. Non-being is the greatest joy.
- Lao Tzu
Inspirational, Joy, Contentment
The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.
- Lao Tzu
Wisdom, Journey, Begins, Step
He who is contented is rich.
- Lao Tzu
Rich, He, Who, Contented
He who talks more is sooner exhausted.
- Lao Tzu
Exhausted, More, Sooner, Talks
When the best leader's work is done the people say, 'We did it ourselves.'
- Lao Tzu
Work, Leadership, Leader, Did
Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.
- Lao Tzu
Love, Confidence, Words, Creates
Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself is true power.
- Lao Tzu
Strength, Power, True, Mastering
The people are hungry: It is because those in authority eat up too much in taxes.
- Lao Tzu
Authority, Eat, Too, Hungry
To lead people walk behind them.
- Lao Tzu
People, Behind, Them, Lead
If you would take, you must first give, this is the beginning of intelligence.
- Lao Tzu
Give, Take, Would, First
If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.
To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders.
- Lao Tzu
Inspirational, Mind, Still, Universe
Those who have knowledge, don't predict. Those who predict, don't have knowledge.
- Lao Tzu
Knowledge, Predict, Those, Who
The softest things in the world overcome the hardest things in the world.
- Lao Tzu
World, Things, Hardest, Overcome
To see things in the seed, that is genius.
- Lao Tzu
Genius, See, Things, Seed
Be the chief but never the lord.
- Lao Tzu
Leadership, Never, Lord, Chief
From caring comes courage.
- Lao Tzu
Courage, Caring
Loading more quotes...
If you're searching for quotes on a different topic, feel free to browse our Topics page or explore a diverse collection of quotes from various Authors to find inspiration.