Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.
知人者智、自知者明。勝人者有力、自勝者強。
Philosophers
Laozi
Semi-legendary Chinese philosopher of the 6th century BC who taught wu wei -- effortless action aligned with nature. His Tao Te Ching founded Taoism and shaped twenty-five centuries of East Asian thought.
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Laozi's Other Quotes
The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name.
The highest goodness is like water. Water benefits all things and does not compete; it dwells in places others disdain, and so is close to the Tao.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Nothing in the world is softer than water, yet nothing surpasses it in overcoming the hard and strong.
In the pursuit of learning, one gains daily. In the pursuit of the Tao, one loses daily -- losing and losing until one arrives at wu wei. Through non-action, nothing is left undone.
Related Quotes
People seek retreats in the country, by the sea, in the mountains — but you can retire into yourself whenever you choose.
-- Marcus Aurelius
The unexamined life is not worth living.
-- Socrates
It is easy to vanquish bandits in the mountains; it is hard to vanquish the bandits in one's heart.
-- Wang Yangming
Those who fully develop their mind know their nature. Knowing their nature, they know Heaven.
-- Mencius
It is in the knowledge of the true conditions of our life that we must draw our strength to live and our reasons to act.
-- Simone de Beauvoir
Risk comes from not knowing what you're doing.
-- Warren Buffett