One of the most recognised personalities, Lao Tzu, or popularly known as Laozi and Lao-Tze is a Chinese philosopher and writer. He is considered to be the father of Chinese Taoism.
He has also written some of the most legendary ancient books and classics including “Tao Te Ching”, “Tao: The Way”, “The Art of War and Other Classics of Eastern Philosophy”, and many more.
The more Taoism took root, the more Tzu’s beliefs spread, and people began to worship him as a God.
His profound way of thinking along with his faiths and beliefs reflected his identity majorly. He has also given out some of the most inspiring and thoughtful quotes. Here is a list of the famous and top Lao Tzu Quotes:
He who obtains has little. He who scatters has much.
A person who keeps on gaining and obtaining in life is actually the one who has the least because it is not achieving something that tends to determine how much one has, rather, it is how much you are giving to others is what counts the most.
Giving will always hold a greater value than taking or gaining, and the more you give, the more you get and have; the more you keep, the less you tend to have.
Sincere words are not fine; fine words are not sincere.
The words which are sincere, and profound are seldom the ones which appeal to a listener’s ego. These are the words that tend to hold great value, and one can always make out the authenticity of such words.
However, words that are fine and sweet are often what the listener would want to hear and not what he/she should be hearing. It is more or less boosting someone’s ego instead of giving them honest advice or a piece of your perspective.
He who knows himself is enlightened.
A person who is self-aware, self-conscious, and knows his/her true worth is the one who is truly enlightened. This is because it takes a high amount of self-actualisation for a person to be this way. But it is one of the best ways to live by for it always results in the growth of the person. After all, nothing good ever comes easy. One must work hard and be full of determination to get what they want.
One who is too insistent with his own views, finds few to agree with him.
Change is the milestone of life and one needs to keep an absolutely open mind towards new opinions and perspectives and should have a fresh outlook in general towards new things and theories and be welcoming to the idea of change in life.
A person who is too rigid with his/her views and opinions and is unwilling to listen to that of others is often the one who ends up complaining that people don’t tend to agree with his visions and ideas.
This is why it is of utmost importance for one to be accepting and open to different perspectives.
To lead people, walk behind them.
True leadership does not come from being ahead of people or having them follow you or imitate you. Real leadership is one in which the people walk in the front, and the leader behind them, so as to help them and provide them with guidance and advice.
You won’t be able to guide people if you walk in front of them while having little or no clue whatsoever as to what they are up to. However, walking behind them is way more sensible as well as beneficial.
He who is contented is rich.
The amount of luxuries or money are never enough to measure up one’s wealth. A person could be financially poor but still, be wealthier than someone who owns a mansion. This is because being rich is not owning properties or a large sum, it is satisfied and content with all that you own.
Violence, even well intentioned, always rebounds upon oneself.
No matter how strong a reason is for inflicting violence or for being hateful and vengeful, it always tends to backfire at the end of the day, thereby causing more damage to oneself rather than to the other person. This is because the burden of hatred and violence is too heavy to bear and tends to destroy a person from the inside.
This is why violence should never be even the last resort, let alone be an option at all, for peace will prevail.
Continue reading the enlightening Lao Tzu Quotes.....
He who talks more is sooner exhausted.
If one simply keeps talking and using big words instead of doing something about it or proving them, they are bound to get tired.
There is a huge difference between talking about doing something and actually doing it. If one invests his/her energy and time into working for something instead of just talking about it, it would be beneficial for them and will also reflect a lot on their personality.
As long as one does not prove their words, they won’t hold any value at all.
The words of truth are always paradoxical.
A paradox is something that might sound or seem contradictory or absurd, but that does not change it from being true, and this is often the case with a paradoxical statement.
This is why Tzu has referred to words of truth as something which is paradoxical because the truth is often hard to believe due to its essence, but that does not change it from being the truth.
The power of intuitive understanding will protect you from harm until the end of your days.
The gut feeling or the intuition that one often tends to overlook and underestimates is actually something that is the most powerful about an individual. The more you listen to your gut, the more you will be able to dodge obstacles and will be able to tackle them in a better way, and the more you ignore it, the deeper you tend to dig your own grave.
This is why one’s intuition is regarded as a blessing because it protects you from the evils of the world and also prepares you against battles that you might not see coming.
Man’s enemies are not demons, but human beings like himself.
The demons and ghosts or creatures from hell are often not the enemies of mankind. Man, himself is the actual, and the biggest enemy of another man because the power a man holds to destroy another through evil such as conceit, betrayal, violence, deceit, etc., no other creature holds more.
Mankind is itself the worst destructor of mankind.
To realise that you do not understand is a virtue; not to realise that you do not understand is a defect.
Not everybody is able to fathom everything and understand everything, and to be able to realise that, and accept it, is a sign of high moral standards, learning, and growing. A person who thinks he/she understands everything and is not willing to accept that such a thing is not humanely possible is a sign of unacceptance and is a flaw.
The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.
No matter how big your dreams are or how high your goals are, the journey to fulfilling and achieving them is always through a single small step. Nobody starts big; one can only dream big because it is a small initiation that will further help you and uplift you in relation to your aims.
Besides, every great personality starts off as small.
He who conquers others is strong; he who conquers himself is mighty.
There is indeed in great strength in being able to defeat people who don’t want good for you and getting rid of them; it takes a lot to see people for who they are and understand their way of doing things and not letting their words or actions affect your way of living in any negative way.
But being able to overlook one’s own negative thoughts and feelings of self-doubt and his/her inhibitions, tends to make them the strongest, mighty even. This is because beating oneself up tends to inflict the worst damage of all and to overcome that is an art, which if mastered by someone, results in their immense growth and helps them move further in life.
When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everybody will respect you.
True power lies in self-awareness and self-actualisation. If you are aware of your true worth, potentials, and the areas on which you need to work, there is no one or nothing that can stop you from moving forward in life and you will automatically win people’s respect. But if you incessantly keep on comparing yourself with others, it is only going to stunt your growth and add to your sufferings; so is constantly competing with others.
This is why it is best to focus on oneself. It is not about whether or not you are better than somebody else, it is about being a better version of yourself, every day.
Life is a series of spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them – that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.
Change is inevitable, and you are bound to encounter it innumerable times in the long journey of life, whether or not you like it. That is why it is in one’s best interest to accept change as it comes and when it comes instead of trying to resist it or complain about it because that will only make you more upset; it won’t stop life from going into a certain direction.
Therefore, it is wise to let things come and go as they do in their own, unique way, and just welcome change with your arms wide open, instead of restricting it.
The truth is not always beautiful, nor beautiful words the truth.
The truth is not always beautiful and appealing to people, it is also unsettling and difficult to come to terms with at times, but that is what makes it real and is considered to be the truth. In a similar way, all beautiful and consoling words aren’t the truth always either.
Remember, lies will always boost your ego and make you feel better, but the truth, although at times has a similar effect, it will not always be the case.
Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner.
If you try to be the way people perceive you to be, you are never going to be anything at all; one should always be themselves regardless of the circumstances or people.
If you care too much about what others think of you and why they see you in a particular way and let their behaviour and words affect you, you will forever be their prisoner and you would indirectly be letting them take control over your life.
Act without expectation
The true way of living is to do everything without expecting anything in return. That way, not only would you be making yourself and others happy, but you also wouldn’t be disappointed when you don’t get anything in return.
Acting without expecting will always lead to a good result and be beneficial for you in the long run.
Loss is not as bad as wanting more
Yes, losing something tends to make one feel upset and bad. But not being able to satisfy one’s needs and wants and constantly wanting more and more is even worse because one is not going to be able to get everything that they want, whenever they want.
The key to happiness is being sated with all that you have, and realising that what you have is enough.
Conclusion
This article has covered an exhaustive list of famous and top Lao Tzu Quotes on Love, life, Leadership, Travel, Nature and Change. Hope this guides your life to a successful path!
Co-author: Khushi Shah
Khushi has just passed her school and is now studying at PDPU. Apart from writing, she likes to sketch and dance. She also has other blogs where she posts proses and poetry.
