Nothing in the world is softer than water, yet nothing surpasses it in overcoming the hard and strong.
天下莫柔弱於水、而攻堅強者莫之能勝。
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.
View this figure's profile
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.
Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
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
What does not kill me makes me stronger.
-- Friedrich Nietzsche
On the stock exchange, anything is possible, including the opposite.
-- André Kostolany
The rich can speculate; the poor must not; the penniless have no choice but to speculate.
-- André Kostolany
I do not wish to be called divine while alive.
-- Titian