A compilation of 70 Lao Tzu quotes.
Laozi, also known as Lao Tzu, was an ancient Chinese philosopher and writer whose name translates as “Old Master.” He is widely regarded as the Tao Te Ching’s author, the creator of philosophical Taoism, and a divinity in religious Taoism and traditional Chinese beliefs.
Both Tang dynasty rulers and present Li surname holders cite Laozi as the founder of their lineage. Various anti-authoritarian groups have adopted Lao Tzu’s work, which has had a major effect on future Chinese scholars.
Lao Tzu Quotes
- “I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures.”
2. “Your own positive future begins in this moment. All you have is right now. Every goal is possible from here.”
3. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
4. “Time is a created thing. To say ‘I don’t have time,’ is like saying, ‘I don’t want to.”
5. “A man with outward courage dares to die; a man with inner courage dares to live.”
6. “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”
7. “Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.”
8. “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.”
9. “Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.”
10. “Those who know do not speak. Those who speak do not know.”
Lao Tzu Quotes on Life
11. “If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.”
12. “Accomplish but do not boast, accomplish without show, accomplish without arrogance, accomplish without grabbing, accomplish without forcing.”
13. “Enemies are not demons, but human beings like himself.”
14. “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.”
15. “A man with outward courage dares to die; a man with inner courage dares to live.”
16. “The wise man is one who, knows, what he does not know.”
17. “If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place.”
18. “When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everyone will respect you.”
19. “Health is the greatest possession. Contentment is the greatest treasure. Confidence is the greatest friend.”
Short Lao Tzu Quotes
20. “The best fighter is never angry.”
21. “Knowledge is a treasure, but practice is the key to it.”
22. “Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is Enlightenment.”
23. “Silence is a source of Great Strength.”
24. “Perfection is the willingness to be imperfect.”
25. “Great acts are made up of small deeds.”
26. “The best fighter is never angry.”
27. “Love is a decision. Not an emotion.”
28. “Act without expectation.”
29. “If you are depressed you are living in the past.
30. “If you are anxious you are living in the future.”
Lao Tzu Quotes that may impact your thinking
31. “If you are at peace you are living in the present.”
32. “To understand the limitation of things, desire them.”
33. “Give evil nothing to oppose and it will disappear by itself.”
34. “Those who have knowledge, don’t predict. Those who predict, don’t have knowledge.”
35. “Life and death are one thread, the same line viewed from different sides.”
36. “For the wise man looks into space and he knows there is no limited dimensions.”
37. “To attain knowledge, add things everyday. To attain wisdom, remove things every day.”
38. “The difficult problems in life always start off being simple. Great affairs always start off being small.”
39. “The truth is not always beautiful, nor beautiful words the truth.”
Inspirational Lao Tzu Quotes
40. “One who is too insistent on his own views finds few to agree with him.”
41. “If you wish to be out front, then act as if you were behind.”
42 “Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.”
43. “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.”
44. “When you accept yourself, the whole world accepts you.”
45. “Who acts in stillness finds stillness in his life.”
46.“The words of truth are always paradoxical”
47. “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.”
48. “If I had just a little bit of wisdom I should walk the great path and fear only straying from it.”
49. “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.”
50. “Stop leaving and you will arrive. Stop searching and you will see. Stop running away and you will be found.”
Lao Tzu Quotes On Leadership and Growth
51. “Doing nothing is better than being busy doing nothing.”
52. “He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still.”
53. “When the student is ready the teacher will appear. When the student is truly ready… The teacher will disappear.”
54. “The key to growth is the introduction of higher dimensions of consciousness into our awareness.”
55. “Love is of all the passions the strongest, for it attacks simultaneously the head, the heart, and the senses.”
56. “The softest things in the world overcome the hardest things in the world.”
57. “There is no greater danger than underestimating your opponent.”
58. “He who obtains has little. He who scatters has much.”
59. “Surrender your self-interest. Love others as much as you love yourself. Then you can be entrusted with all things under heaven.”
60. “A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.”
Thought-Provoking Lao Tzu Quotes
61. “The best of all leaders is the one who helps people so that eventually they don’t need him.”
62. “A scholar who cherishes the love of comfort is not fit to be deemed a scholar.”
63. “Do you have the patience to wait till your mud settles and the water is clear? Can you remain unmoving till the right action arises by itself?”
64. “If you want to lead them you must place yourself behind them.”
65. “There is no greater danger than underestimating your opponent.”
66. “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.”
67. “At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.”
68. “To avoid disappointment, know what is sufficient. To avoid trouble, know when to stop. If you are able to do this, you will last a long time.”
69. “If you want to know me look inside your heart.”
70. “If you would take, you must first give, this is the beginning of intelligence.”
My favorite Lao Tzu quotes are, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” and “Knowledge is a treasure, but practice is the key to it.”
Additional Read: Lao-Tzu – World History Encyclopedia