There are some words that stay with us for centuries.
It’s with joy that I recall the summer of 2010 and spending hours lying on the beach and reading Lao Tzu’s words of wisdom… In short, I was absolutely amazed by his work back then, needless to say my fascination continues to this day.
Summer has arrived once again and now it’s time to dedicate a post to the genius whose words are still relevant.
Lao Zi, Lao Tzu, Lao Tse, or Lao Tze – is one of the world’s greatest and most influential philosophers, and in this article you’ll find 150 most inspirational Lao Tzu quotes!
Read on to discover his most popular, powerful, motivational and inspirational quotes!
Let’s get started!
20 Most Powerful Lao Tzu Quotes
1. “Stop thinking, and end your problems.” ― Lao Tzu
2. “Trying to control the future is like trying to take the master carpenter’s place. When you handle the master carpenter’s tools, chances are that you’ll cut your hand.” ― Lao-Tzu
3. “If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.” ― Lao Tzu
4. “To know that you do not know is the best. To think you know when you do not is a disease. Recognizing this disease as a disease is to be free of it.” ― Lao Tzu
5. “A man with outward courage dares to die; a man with inner courage dares to live.” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
6. “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, Tao Te Ching
7. “In family life, be completely present.” ― Lao Tzu
8. “Success is as dangerous as failure. Hope is as hollow as fear.” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
9. “The wise man is one who, knows, what he does not know.” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
10. “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
11. “There is no illusion greater than fear.” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Teh Ching
12. “When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.” ― Lao Tzu
13. “Life and death are one thread, the same line viewed from different sides.” ― Lao Tzu
14. “Chanting is no more holy than listening to the murmur of a stream, counting prayer beads no more scared than simply breathing, religious robes no more spiritual than work clothes.” ― Lao Tzu
15. “Do you have the patience to wait until your mud settles and the water is clear?” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
16. “Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill. Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt.” ― Lao Tzu, Te-Tao Ching
17. “Just remain in the center; watching. And then forget that you are there.” ― Lao Tzu
18. “When the student is ready the teacher will appear. When the student is truly ready… The teacher will disappear.” ― Lao Tzu
19. “Countless words count less than the silent balance between yin and yang.” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
20. “Music in the soul can be heard by the universe.” ― Lao Tzu
See also: 120 Best Spiritual Universe Quotes To Contemplate Life
Popular Lao Tzu Quotes
1. “Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner.” ― Lao Tzu
2. “Time is a created thing. To say ‘I don’t have time,’ is like saying, ‘I don’t want to.” ― Lao Tzu
3. “If you are depressed you are living in the past.
If you are anxious you are living in the future.
If you are at peace you are living in the present.” ― Lao Tzu
4. “Health is the greatest possession. Contentment is the greatest treasure. Confidence is the greatest friend.” ― Lao Tzu
5. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” ― Lao Tzu
6. “He who obtains has little. He who scatters has much.” ― Lao Tzu
7. “Respond intelligently even to unintelligent treatment.” ― Lao Tzu
8. “An over sharpened sword cannot last long.” ― Lao Tzu
9. “Those who know do not speak. Those who speak do not know.” ― Lao Tsu, Tao Teh Ching
10. “The flame that burns Twice as bright burns half as long.” ― Lao Tzu, Te-Tao Ching
Motivational Laozi Quotes
1. “The moral man does something, and when no one responds he rolls up his sleeves and uses force.” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
2. “New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.” ― Lao Tzu
3. “He who clings to his work will create nothing that endures.” ― Lao Tzu
4. “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. Always be on the lookout for ways to turn a problem into an opportunity for success. Always be on the lookout for ways to nurture your dream.” ― Lao Tzu
5. “Be still. Stillness reveals the secrets of eternity.” ― Lao Tzu
6. “Knowing others is intelligence;
knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Mastering others is strength;
mastering yourself is true power.” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
7. “When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everyone will respect you.” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
8. “Not-knowing is true knowledge.
Presuming to know is a disease.
First realize that you are sick;
then you can move toward health.” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
9. “To a mind that is still the whole universe surrenders.” ― Lao Tzu
10. “He who knows he has enough is rich. Perseverance is a sign of will power. He who stays where he is endures. To die but not to perish is to be eternally present.” ― Lao Tzu
11. “There is a time to live and a time to die but never to reject the moment.” ― Lao Tzu
12. “The past has no power to stop you
from being present now.
Only your grievance about
the past can do that.
What is grievance?
The baggage of old
thought and emotion.” ― Lao Tzu
13. “Your own positive future begins in this moment. All you have is right now. Every goal is possible from here.” ― Lao Tzu
14. “He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough.” ― Lao Tzu
15. “A violent wind does not last for a whole morning; a sudden rain does not last for the whole day.” ― Lao Tzu
16. “Would you like to save the world from the degradation and destruction it seems destined for? Then step away from shallow mass movements and quietly go to work on your own self-awareness. If you want to awaken all of humanity, then awaken all of yourself. If you want to eliminate the suffering in the world, then eliminate all that is dark and negative in yourself. Truly, the greatest gift you have to give is that of your own self-transformation.” ― Lao Tzu
17. “The power of intuitive understanding will protect you from harm until the end of your days.” ― Lao Tzu
18. “One can not reflect in streaming water. Only those who know internal peace can give it to others.” ― Lao Tzu
19. “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
20. “Our enemies are not demons, but human beings like ourselves.” ― Lao Tzu
21. “The road you can talk about is not the road you can walk on.” ― Lao Tzu
22. “If you search everywhere, yet cannot find what you are seeking, it is because what you seek is already in your possession.” ― Lao Tzu
23. “Boasting of wealth and virtue brings your demise.” ― Lao Tzu
24. “When goodness is lost there is morality.” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
25. “The key to growth is the introduction of higher dimensions of consciousness into our awareness.” ― Lao Tzu
26. “Stop leaving and you will arrive. Stop searching and you will see. Stop running away and you will be found.” ― Lao Tzu
27. “Loss is not as bad as wanting more.” ― Lao Tzu
28. “Do not conquer the world with force, for force only causes resistance. Thorns spring up when an army passes. Years of misery follow a great victory. Do only what needs to be done without using violence.” ― Lao Tzu
29. “The road you can talk about is not the road you can walk on” ― Lao-Tse, Tao Te Ching
30. “Ordinary men hate solitude. But the Master makes use of it, embracing his aloneness, realizing he is one with the whole universe.” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
31. “If you want to become whole, let yourself be partial. If you want to become straight, let yourself be crooked. If you want to become full, let yourself be empty. If you want to be reborn, let yourself die. If you want to be given everything, give everything up.” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
32. “Every step is on the path.” ― Lao Tzu
33. “Without opening your door,
you can open your heart to the world.
Without looking out your window,
you can see the essence of the Tao.
The more you know,
the less you understand.
The Master arrives without leaving,
sees the light without looking,
achieves without doing a thing.” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
34. “There are few in the world who attain to the teaching without words, and the advantage arising from non-action.” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
35. “Figure out the rhythm of life and live in harmony with it.” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Teh Ching
36. “Must you value what others value,
avoid what others avoid?
How ridiculous!” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
37. “When the highest type of men hear Tao,
They diligently practice it.
When the average type of men hear Tao,
They half believe in it.
When the lowest type of men hear Tao,
They laugh heartily at it.
Without the laugh, there is no Tao.” ― Lao Tzu
38. “Thus it is said:
The path into light seems dark,
the path forward seems to go back,
the direct path seems long,
true power seems weak…
the greatest love seems indifferent,
the greatest wisdom seems childish.” ― Laozi
39. “It is better to leave a vessel unfilled, than to attempt to carry it when it is full.” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
40. “Because she competes with no one, no one can compete with her.” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
Inspirational Quotes From Laozi
1. “Act without expectation.” ― Lao Tzu
2. “At the center of your being
you have the answer;
you know who you are
and you know what you want.” ― Lao Tzu
3. “The best fighter is never angry.” ― Lao Tzu
4. “The truth is not always beautiful, nor beautiful words the truth.” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
5. “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” ― Lao Tzu
6. “Simplicity, patience, compassion.
These three are your greatest treasures.
Simple in actions and thoughts, you return to the source of being.
Patient with both friends and enemies,
you accord with the way things are.
Compassionate toward yourself,
you reconcile all beings in the world.” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
7. “Because one believes in oneself, one doesn’t try to convince others. Because one is content with oneself, one doesn’t need others’ approval. Because one accepts oneself, the whole world accepts him or her.” ― Lao Tzu
8. “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
9. “If a person seems wicked, do not cast him away. Awaken him with your words, elevate him with your deeds, repay his injury with your kindness. Do not cast him away; cast away his wickedness.” ― Lao-Tzu
10. “Water is the softest thing, yet it can penetrate mountains and earth. This shows clearly the principle of softness overcoming hardness.” ― Lao Zi
11. “A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” ― Lao Tzu
12. “Give evil nothing to oppose and it will disappear by itself.” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
13. “The further one goes, the less one knows.” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
14. “Silence is a source of Great Strength.” ― Lao Tzu
See also: 150 Silence Quotes When Silence Speaks Louder Than Words
15. “The snow goose need not bathe to make itself white. Neither need you do anything but be yourself.” ― Lao Tzu
16. “Those who flow as life flows know they need no other force.” ― Lao Tzu
17. “Manifest plainness,
Embrace simplicity,
Reduce selfishness,
Have few desires.” ― Lao Tzu
18. “Accomplish but do not boast, accomplish without show, accomplish without arrogance, accomplish without grabbing, accomplish without forcing.” ― Lao Tzu
19. “Rushing into action, you fail.
Trying to grasp things, you lose them.
Forcing a project to completion,
you ruin what was almost ripe.
Therefore the Master takes action
by letting things take their course.
He remains as calm at the end
as at the beginning.
He has nothing,
thus has nothing to lose.
What he desires is non-desire;
what he learns is to unlearn.
He simply reminds people
of who they have always been.
He cares about nothing but the Tao.
Thus he can care for all things.” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
20. “Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.” ― Lao-Tzu
21. “To attain knowledge, add things everyday. To attain wisdom, remove things every day.” ― Lao Tse
22. “The Way to do is to be.” ― Lao Tzu
23. “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
24. “True words aren’t eloquent;
eloquent words aren’t true.
Wise men don’t need to prove their point;
men who need to prove their point aren’t wise.
The Master has no possessions.
The more he does for others,
the happier he is.
The more he gives to others,
the wealthier he is.” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
25. “Doing nothing is better than being busy doing nothing.” ― Lao Tzu
26. “If you understand others you are smart.
If you understand yourself you are illuminated.
If you overcome others you are powerful.
If you overcome yourself you have strength.
If you know how to be satisfied you are rich.
If you can act with vigor, you have a will.
If you don’t lose your objectives you can be long-lasting.
If you die without loss, you are eternal.” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
27. “Men are born soft and supple; dead they are stiff and hard. Plants are born tender and pliant; dead, they are brittle and dry. Thus whoever is stiff and inflexible is a disciple of death. Whoever is soft and yielding is a disciple of life. The hard and stiff will be broken. The soft and supple will prevail.” ― Lao Tzu
28. “When there is no desire,
all things are at peace.” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
29. “My teachings are easy to understand
and easy to put into practice.
Yet your intellect will never grasp them,
and if you try to practice them,you’ll fail.
My teachings are older than the world.
How can you grasp their meaning?
If you want to know me,
Look inside your heart.” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
30. “Knowledge is a treasure, but practice is the key to it.” ― Lao Tzu
31. “To understand the limitation of things, desire them.” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
32. “Close your mouth,
block off your senses,
blunt your sharpness,
untie your knots,
soften your glare,
settle your dust.
This is the primal identity.” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
33. “One who is too insistent on his own views finds few to agree with him.” ― Lao-Tzu
34. “Colors blind the eye
Sounds deafen the ear.
Flavors numb the taste.
Thoughts weaken the mind.
Desires wither the heart.” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
35. “What the caterpillar calls the end, the rest of the world calls a butterfly.” ― Lao Tzu
36. “To realize that you do not understand is a virtue; not to realize that you do not understand is a defect.” ― Lao Tzu
37. “A man is born gentle and weak; at his death he is hard and stiff. All things, including the grass and trees, are soft and pliable in life; dry and brittle in death. Stiffness is thus a companion of death; flexibility a companion of life. An army that cannot yield will be defeated. A tree that cannot bend will crack in the wind. The hard and stiff will be broken; the soft and supple will prevail.” ― Lao-Tzu
38. “Take care with the end as you do with the beginning.” ― Lao-Tzu
39. “Darkness within darkness. The gateway to all understanding.” ― Lao Tzu
40. “Some lose yet gain, others gain and yet lose.” ― Lao Tzu
41. “Under heaven all can see beauty as beauty only because there is ugliness. All can know good as good only because there is evil.” ― Lao Tzu
42. “Look, and it can’t be seen.
Listen, and it can’t be heard.
Reach, and it can’t be grasped.
Above, it isn’t bright.
Below, it isn’t dark.
Seamless, unnamable,
it returns to the realm of nothing.
Form that includes all forms,
image without an image,
subtle, beyond all conception.
Approach it and there is no beginning;
follow it and there is no end.
You can’t know it, but you can be it,
at ease in your own life.
Just realize where you come from:
this is the essence of wisdom.” ― Lao Tzu
43. “Some say that my teaching is nonsense.
Other call it lofty but impractical.
But to those who have looked inside themselves,
this nonsense makes perfect sense.
And to those who put it into practice,
this loftiness has roots that go deep.” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
44. “To speak little is natural. Therefore a gale does not blow a whole morning nor does a downpour last a whole day.” ― Lao Tzu
45. “Nothingness and Beingness are merely conceptions…” ― Lao Tzu
46. “In harmony with the Tao,
the sky is clear and spacious,
the earth is solid and full,
all creatures flourish together,
content with the way they are,
endlessly repeating themselves,
endlessly renewed.
When man interferes with the Tao
the sky becomes filthy,
the earth becomes depleted,
the equilibrium crumbles,
creatures become extinct.” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
47. “As to the roaming of sages,
They move in utter emptiness,
Let their minds meander in the great nothingness;
They run beyond convention
And go through where there is no gateway.
They listen to the soundless
And look at the formless,
They are not constrained by society
And not bound to its customs.” ― Lao Tzu
48. “The Tao doesn’t take sides;
it gives birth to both good and evil.
The Master doesn’t take sides;
she welcomes both saints and sinners.
The Tao is like a bellows:
it is empty yet infinitely capable.
The more you use it, the more it produces;
the more you talk of it, the less you understand.
Hold on to the center.” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
49. “When people see some things as beautiful,
other things become ugly.
When people see some things as good,
other things become bad.
Being and non-being create each other.
Difficult and easy support each other.
Long and short define each other.
High and low depend on each other.
Before and after follow each other.
Therefore the Master
acts without doing anything
and teaches without saying anything.
Things arise and she lets them come;
things disappear and she lets them go.
She has but doesn’t possess,
acts but doesn’t expect.
When her work is done, she forgets it.
That is why it lasts forever.” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
50. “If I had just a little bit of wisdom I should walk the great path and fear only straying from it.” ― Lao Tzu
51. “Give up your relentless moralizing, the continual pinpricks which pierce the skin of your fellows. The distinction between good and evil is the sickness of the mind. Give up your morals, and the people will regain a love of their fellows.” ― Lao Tzu
52. “The master dwells in the substantial and not in the superficial. Rests in the fruit and not in the flower.” ― Lao Tzu
Lao Tzu Quotes On Love
1. “In the Way of Heaven, there is no partiality of love; it is always on the side of the good man.” ― Lao Tzu
2. “Love is a decision – not an emotion!” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
3. “Love is of all the passions the strongest, for it attacks simultaneously the head, the heart, and the senses.” ― Lao Tzu
4. “Because of a great love, one is courageous.” ― Lao Tzu
5. “Surrender your self-interest. Love others as much as you love yourself. Then you can be entrusted with all things under heaven.” ― Lao Tzu
6. “Go to the people. Live with them, learn from them, love them.” ― Lao Tzu
7. “Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” ― Lao Tzu
8. “He who defends with love will be secure; Heaven will save him, and protect him with love.” ― Lao Tzu
9. “See others as yourself. See families as your family. See towns as your town. See countries as your country. See worlds as your world.” ― Lao Tzu
10.“He who loves does not dispute: He who disputes does not love.” ― Laozi
11.“Love the whole world as if it were your self; then you will truly care for all things.” ― Laozi
See also: 140 Oscar Wilde Love Quotes That Are Absolutely Genius
Lao Tzu Quotes On Leadership
1. “If you want to govern the people, you must place yourself below them. If you want to lead people, you must learn how to follow them.” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
2. The one who rules like the mother lasts long.” ― Lao Tzu
3. “A leader is best
When people barely know he exists
Of a good leader, who talks little,
When his work is done, his aim fulfilled,
They will say, “We did this ourselves.” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
4. “All streams flow to the sea because it is lower than they are. Humility gives it its power. if you want to govern the people, you must place yourself below them. if you want to lead the people, you must learn how to follow them.” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
5. “Can you love people and lead them without imposing your will?” ― Lao Tzu
See also: 40 Edgar Allan Poe Love Quotes To Make You Rethink Romance
6. “Govern a great nation as you would cook a small fish. Do not overdo it.” ― Lao Tzu
7. “Be the chief but never the lord.” ― Lao Tzu
8. “Good leaders reach solutions, and then stop. They do not dare to rely on force.” ― Lao Tzu
9. “Let go of fixed plans and concepts, and the world will govern itself. The more prohibitions you have, the less virtuous people will be. The more weapons you have, the less secure people will be.” ― Lao Tzu
10. “If a country is governed with tolerance, the people are comfortable and honest. If a country is governed with repression, the people are depressed and crafty.” ― Lao Tzu
11. “If you don’t trust the people, you make them untrustworthy.” ― Lao Tzu
12. “When the Master governs, the people are hardly aware that he exists. Next best is a leader who is loved. Next, one who is feared. The worst is one who is despised.” ― Lao Tzu
13. “The best leader follows the will of the people.” ― Lao Tzu
14. “When the government is too intrusive, people lose their spirit. Act for the people’s benefit. Trust them; leave them alone.” ― Lao Tzu
15. “In the Golden Age, Rulers were unknown. In the following age Rulers were loved and praised. Next came the age When ruler s were feared. Finally the age When rulers are hated.” ― Laozi
16. “The more laws and restrictions there are, the poorer people become. … The more rules and regulations, the more thieves and robbers.” ― Lao Tzu
Final Thoughts
You’ve reached the end of the article!
Thank you so much for checking out my list of 150 Lao Tzu quotes!
Until next time!
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