Top 500 Laozi Quotes (2024 Update)
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201. “A good speaker does not stutter.”

— Laozi

202. “When goodness is lost, it is replaced by morality.”

— Laozi

203. “The words of truth are always paradoxical. To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders.”

— Laozi

204. “Violence, even well intentioned, always rebounds upon oneself.”

— Laozi

205. “The virtuous carry out the settlement, but those without virtue pursue their claims.”

— Laozi

206. “Can you love or guide someone without any kind of expectation?”

— Laozi

207. “Kindness in words creates confidence.”

— Laozi

208. “If you want to accord with the Tao, just do your job, then let go.”

— Laozi

209. “All things flourish, and each returns to its source.”

— Laozi

210. “The way to use life is to do nothing through acting, The way to use life is to do everything through being.”

— Laozi

211. “Pain and happiness are simply conditions of the ego. Forget the ego.”

— Laozi

212. “Quiet your mind and stop judging and resisting and manipulating the natural way.”

— Laozi

213. “Those who praise themselves do not prevail.”

— Laozi

214. “Take care of what is difficult while it is still easy, and deal with what will become big while it is yet small.”

— Laozi

215. “Dualistic thinking is a sickness.”

— Laozi

216. “If you would take, you must first give.”

— Laozi

217. “To see things in the seed, that is genius.”

— Laozi

218. “It is hidden but always present.”

— Laozi

219. “In the Way of Heaven, there is no partiality of love; it is always on the side of the good man.”

— Laozi

220. “When you are sick of your sickness you will cease to be sick.”

— Laozi

221. “Supreme good is like water. Water greatly benefits all things, without conflict. It flows through places that people loathe. Thereby it is close to the Way.”

— Laozi

222. “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.’”

— Laozi

223. “See simplicity in the complicated. Achieve greatness in little things.”

— Laozi

224. “Those who do not trust enough should not be trusted.”

— Laozi

225. “Every human being’s essential nature is perfect and faultless, but after years of immersion in the world we easily forget our roots and take on a counterfeit nature.”

— Laozi

226. “Meandering leads to perfection.”

— Laozi

227. “Ever desireless, one can see the mystery. Ever desiring, one can see the manifestations. These two spring from the same source but differ in name; this appears as darkness. Darkness within darkness. The gate to all mystery.”

— Laozi

228. “Give up learning, and put an end to your troubles.”

— Laozi

229. “Life is going forth; death is returning home.”

— Laozi

230. “Goodness in words creates trust, goodness in thinking creates depth, goodness in giving creates love.”

— Laozi

231. “The wise man doesn’t compete; therefore nobody can compete with him.”

— Laozi

232. “Let muddy water stand and it will become clear.”

— Laozi

233. “The good leader carries water for his people.”

— Laozi

234. “Stop thinking, and end your problems. What difference between yes and no? What difference between success and failure? Must you value what others value, avoid what others avoid? How ridiculous!”

— Laozi

235. “A sound man is good at salvage, at seeing nothing is lost.”

— Laozi

236. “I find good people good And I find bad people good If I am good enough.”

— Laozi

237. “Conduct your triumph as a funeral.”

— Laozi

238. “If you scramble about in search of inner peace, you will lose your inner peace.”

— Laozi

239. “The feminine values are the fountain of bliss. Know the masculine, Keep to the feminine.”

— Laozi

240. “Use the light that is in you to recover your natural clearness of sight.”

— Laozi

241. “Without law or compulsion, men would dwell in harmony.”

— Laozi

242. “Act without expectation.”

— Laozi

243. “I observe myself and I come to know others.”

— Laozi

244. “Nothing on earth is so weak and yielding as water, but for breaking down the firm and strong it has no equal.”

— Laozi

245. “Lay plans for the accomplishment of the difficult before it becomes difficult; make something big by starting with it when small.”

— Laozi

246. “Few things under heaven bring more benefit than the lessons learned from silence and the actions taken without striving.”

— Laozi

247. “Returning to the source is serenity.”

— Laozi

248. “To lead, one must follow.”

— Laozi

249. “Good walking leaves no track behind it.”

— Laozi

250. “The wise man, after learning something new, is afraid to learn anything more until he has put his first lesson into practice.”

— Laozi