85 Best Lao Tzu Quotes On LOVE, LIVE & LEADERSHIP
Welcome to our journey through the wisdom of Lao Tzu, an ancient philosopher with timeless insights. In this blog post, we’re exploring 85 of his most memorable quotes about three essential aspects of life: Love, Living, and Leadership.
Lao Tzu’s words invite us to look at Love not just as a feeling, but as a force that connects and uplifts us. He encourages us to Live with mindfulness and joy, appreciating every moment and learning from the world around us. And when it comes to Leadership, he offers a unique perspective on guiding others with humility and respect.
Whether you’re familiar with Lao Tzu’s teachings or meeting him for the first time, these quotes promise to inspire and provoke thought. So, let’s delve into the wisdom of Lao Tzu together, discovering how his ancient words can still light the way in our modern lives.
Most Famous Lao Tzu Quotes
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”
“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.”
“A leader is best when people barely know he exists.”
“To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders.”
“Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small.”
“The snow goose need not bathe to make itself white. Neither need you do anything but be yourself.”
“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes.”
“If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.”
”Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself is true power.”
Lao Tzu Leadership Quotes
“Govern a nation as you would fry a small fish.”
“The best warrior leads without haste, fights without anger, overcomes without confrontation.”
“To lead people, walk behind them.”
“Those who rule in accordance with Tao do not use force against the world.”
“The greatest leader is one who is willing to serve.”
“A great nation is like a great man: when he makes a mistake, he realizes it.”
“When the effective leader is finished with his work, the people say it happened naturally.”
“To lead the people, walk beside them.”
Best Lao Tzu Quotes On Love
“Love is of all passions the strongest, for it attacks simultaneously the head, the heart, and the senses.”
“Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.”
“Simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures.”
“The heart that gives, gathers.”
“To love someone deeply gives you strength. Being loved by someone deeply gives you courage.”
“Respond intelligently even to unintelligent treatment.”
“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.”
“When you accept yourself, the whole world accepts you.”
“Surrender your self-interest. Love others as much as you love yourself.
Wise Lao Tzu Quotes On Life
“He who knows he has enough is rich.”
“A violent wind does not last for the whole morning; a sudden rain does not last for the whole day.”
“Our enemies are not demons, but human beings like ourselves.”
“There is a time to live and a time to die but never to reject the moment.”
“The past has no power to stop you from being present now.”
“Your own positive future begins in this moment.”
“The key to growth is the introduction of higher dimensions of consciousness into our awareness.”
“Loss is not as bad as wanting more.”
Motivational Lao Tzu Quotes
“Act without expectation.”
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.”
“Because one believes in oneself, one doesn’t try to convince others.”
“Stop leaving and you will arrive. Stop searching and you will see.”
“Give without conditions and the people will prosper.”
“The most yielding thing in the world will overcome the most rigid.”
Lao Tzu Quotes On Water
“Water is fluid, soft, and yielding. But water will wear away rock, which is rigid and cannot yield.”
“Nothing in the world is as soft and yielding as water.”
“Be still like a mountain and flow like a great river.”
“Water is the softest thing, yet itcan cut through the hardest rock.”
“In the world, there is nothing more submissive and weak than water. Yet for attacking that which is hard and strong, nothing can surpass it.”
“To be like water is to be flexible in character, yet powerful in action.”
“Water does not resist. Water flows.”
“Just as water retains no constant shape, so in warfare there are no constant conditions.”
“Water shapes its course according to the nature of the ground over which it flows.”
“Be like water making its way through cracks.”
Lao Tzu Quotes On Knowing Yourself
“Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom.”
“He who knows others is learned; he who knows himself is wise.”
“At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.”
“To know oneself is to study oneself in action with another person.”
“One who knows himself is not affected by others’ opinions.”
“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.”
“When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everyone will respect you.”
“Not-knowing is true knowledge. Presuming to know is a disease.”
“To understand the limitation of things, desire them.”
Lao Tzu Quotes On Happiness
“The essence of Tao is contentment.”
“Happiness is the absence of the striving for happiness.”
“True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future.”
“Happiness is rooted in simplicity.”
“To be under one’s own control and yet free is the key to happiness.”
“When one is content with oneself, one doesn’t need others’ approval.”
“The wise man does not lay up his own treasures. The more he gives to others, the more he has for his own.”
“If you want to be happy, be.”
“True happiness comes from the joy of deeds well done, the zest of creating things new.”
Top Lao Tzu Quotes On Simplicity
“I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures.”
“Manifest plainness, embrace simplicity, reduce selfishness, have few desires.”
“To attain knowledge, add things every day. To attain wisdom, remove things every day.”
“He who is contented is rich.”
“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.”
“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.”
“Success is as dangerous as failure. Hope is as hollow as fear.”
“Doing nothing is better than being busy doing nothing.”
Lao Tzu Quotes On Letting Go and Forgiveness
“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.”
“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.”
“If you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will try to hold on to.”
“Let go of your attachment to being right, and suddenly your mind is more open.”
“When you accept rather than fight, you transcend.”
“Give evil nothing to oppose and it will disappear by itself.”
“Let go of fixed plans and concepts, and the world will govern itself.”
“The more you know, the less you understand.”