100 Unforgettable Lao Tzu Quotes That Truly Inspires

Quick Facts

Are you looking for something or someone to inspire you? Then you are in the right place because this article has more than 100 of the most inspiring Lao Tzu quotes that will help you in your daily living. Lao Tzu was a philosopher and writer in ancient China, who was often portrayed as a 6th-century BC contemporary of the Chinese philosopher cum politician known as Confucius. However, some modern historians are of the opinion that he lived during the Warring States period of the 4th century BC while some others argue that he is either a mythical figure or a combination of many historical figures.

Also known as Laozi, Tao Tzu, stories have it that Lao never established a formal school but that notwithstanding, he had a large number of student and faithful followers. The semi-legendary figure was reportedly the person in charge of the archives at the imperial court and this helped him acquire a lot of knowledge as he was opportune to study the books under his watch. Among Lao Tzu’s believes is the fact that the life of every human is influenced by external forces, just like everything else in the world and that simplicity is the key to both truth and freedom. Based on these believes, he urged people to not only observe but also to seek to gain an understanding of natural laws.

At about 80 years of age, Lao Tzu, overcome with sadness because people were not willing to tow the path of natural goodness, set out for China’s western border. When he got to the border, a guard convinced him to pen down his teachings before he left so he composed the Tao Te Ching (The Way and Its Power), a Chinese classic text made up of 5,000 characters. Thanks to his text, Lao is today reputed as one who founded the Chinese spiritual tradition and philosophical Taoism.

100 Unforgettable Lao Tzu Quotes That Truly Inspires

1. If you look to others for fulfillment, you will never be truly fulfilled.

2. Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself is true power.

3. A terrace nine stories high begins with a pile of earth.

4. He, who rushes ahead, does not go far.

5. He who knows others is wise. He who knows himself is enlightened.

6. Watch your words; they become actions.

7. The key to growth is the introduction of higher dimensions of consciousness into our awareness.

8. A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.

9. Be honest to those who are honest, and be also honest to those who are not honest. Thus honesty is attained.

10. Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

11. At the center of your being, you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.

12. Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.

13. It is wealth to be content.

14. He, who tries to shine, dims his own light.

15. Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life
from your dream. Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success.

16. Watch your actions; they become habits.

17. Man’s enemies are not demons, but human beings like himself.

18. Respond intelligently even to unintelligent treatment.

19. The softest things in the world overcome the hardest things in the world.

20. . I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, and compassion. These three are your greatest treasures.

21. An ant on the move does more than a dozing ox.

22. Music in the soul can be heard by the universe.

23. Whoever can see through all fear, will always be safe.

24. He, who defines himself, can’t know who he really is.

25. The power of intuitive understanding will protect you from harm until the end of your day.

26. Watch your habits; they become character.

27. When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.

28. 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

29. When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everybody will respect you.

30. Seek not happiness too greedily, and be not fearful of unhappiness.

31. Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it.

32. Stop leaving and you will arrive. Stop searching and you will see. Stop running away and you will be found.

33. Do the difficult things while they are easy, and do the great things while they are small.

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

35. Always be on the lookout for ways to turn a problem into an opportunity for success.

36. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

37. What the caterpillar calls the end, the rest of the world calls a butterfly.

38. A scholar who cherishes the love of comfort is not fit to be deemed a scholar.

39. Just let go of your preferences, and everything will be perfectly clear.

40. 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.

41. When you accept yourself, the whole world accepts you.

42. Love is of all passions the strongest, for it attacks simultaneously the head, the heart and the senses.

43. The wise man looks into space and knows that there are no limited dimensions.

44. He, who knows, does not speak. He, who speaks, does not know.

45. If you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will try to hold on to.

46. Be the chief, but never the lord

47. The words of truth are always paradoxical.

48. To see things in the seed, that is genius.

49. If you realize that you have enough, you are truly rich.

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

51. Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner.

52. Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength while loving someone deeply gives you courage.

53. From caring comes courage.

54. He who obtains has little. He who scatters has much.

55. If you would take, you must first give, this is the beginning of intelligence.

56. Silence is a source of great strength.

57. 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.

58. The best fighter is never angry.

59. Without stirring abroad, one can know the whole world; without looking out of the window one can see the way of heaven.

60. See the world as your self. Have faith in the way things are. Love the world as your self, then you can care for all things.

61. Great acts are made up of small deeds.

62. Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.

63. Ambition has one heel nailed in well, though she stretches her fingers to touch the heaven.

64. He who talks more is sooner exhausted.

65. Indwelling, 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.

66. 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.

67. To realize that you do not understand is a virtue; not to realize that you do not understand is a defect.

68. Know glory, but cleave to humiliation.

69. The great way is not difficult if you don’t cling to good or bad.

70. If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.

71. If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.

72. One, who is too insistent on his own views, finds few to agree with him.

73. 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.

74. He who conquers others is strong; He who conquers himself is mighty.

75. Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is Enlightenment.

76. Violence, even well intentioned, always rebounds upon oneself.

77. Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them, that only creates sorrow.

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

79. Before healing others, heal yourself.

80. If your happiness depends on money, you will never be happy with yourself.

81. We hammer wood for a house, but it is the inner space that makes it livable.

82. A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.

83. Failure is an opportunity.

84. He, who does not trust enough, will not be trusted

85. Life and death are one thread, the same line viewed from different sides.

86. Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill. Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt.

87. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.

88. The more laws and order are made prominent, the more thieves and robbers there will be.

89. The farther you go, the less you know.

90. Perseverance is the foundation of all actions.

91. Remind yourself daily, there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way.

92. Those who have knowledge don’t predict. Those who predict, don’t have knowledge.

93. He, who stands on tiptoe, does not stand firm.

94. He who is contented is rich.

95. Watch your thoughts; they become words.

96. The master does not try to be powerful thus he is truly powerful. The ordinary man keeps reaching for power thus he never has enough.

97. If you blame someone else, there is no end to the blame.

98. Treat those who are good with goodness, and also treat those who are not good with goodness. Thus goodness is attained.

99. Only fools seek power, and the greatest fools seek it through force.

100. Love is a decision, not an emotion.

101. Those who do not trust enough should not be trusted.

102. To become learned, each day add something. To become enlightened, each day drop something.

103. Knowledge is a treasure, but practice is the key to it.

104. Truthful words are not beautiful; beautiful words are not truthful. Good words are not persuasive; persuasive words are not good.

105. Handle the great while it is still small.

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