Top 500 Laozi Quotes (2026 Update)
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201. “It is hidden but always present.”

— Laozi

202. “There is no greater sin than desire, No greater curse than discontent, No greater misfortune than wanting something for oneself. Therefore he who knows that enough is enough will always have enough.”

— Laozi

203. “Sometimes gain comes from losing, and sometimes loss comes from gaining.”

— Laozi

204. “If you really want everything, then give up everything.”

— Laozi

205. “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

206. “There is no calamity greater than lavish desires. There is no greater guilt than discontent. And there is no greater disaster than greed.”

— Laozi

207. “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

208. “The value of teaching without words and accomplishing without action is understood by few in the world.”

— Laozi

209. “Misfortune is the root of good fortune; good fortune gives birth to misfortune.”

— Laozi

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

— Laozi

211. “When the effective leader is finished with his work, the people say it happened naturally.”

— Laozi

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

— Laozi

213. “The difficult problems in life always start off being simple. Great affairs always start off being small.”

— Laozi

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

— Laozi

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

— Laozi

216. “A good speaker does not stutter.”

— Laozi

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

— Laozi

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

— Laozi

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

— Laozi

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

— Laozi

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

— Laozi

222. “To lead, one must follow.”

— Laozi

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

— Laozi

Featured in: Virtue Quotes

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

— Laozi

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

— Laozi

226. “Kindness in words creates confidence.”

— Laozi

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

— Laozi

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

— Laozi

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

— Laozi

230. “No weapon is sharper than will.”

— Laozi

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

— Laozi

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

— Laozi

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

— Laozi

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

— Laozi

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

— Laozi

236. “Kind words elicit trust. Kind thoughts create depth. Kind deeds bring love.”

— Laozi

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

— Laozi

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

— Laozi

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

— Laozi

240. “Meandering leads to perfection.”

— Laozi

241. “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

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

— Laozi

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

— Laozi

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

— Laozi

245. “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

246. “If good happens, good; if bad happens, good.”

— Laozi

247. “Kindness in thought leads to wisdom. Kindness in speech leads to eloquence. Kindness in action leads to love.”

— Laozi

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

— Laozi

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

— Laozi

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

— Laozi