Lao Tzu Quotes on People (12 Quotes)

When the people of the world all know beauty as beauty, There arises the recognition of ugliness. When they all know the good as good, There arises the recognition of evil.

Those who make their living by collecting taxes cause the people to starve when the people starve, the tax collectors, having no one to tax starve also

The great rulers - the people do not notice their existence The lesser ones - they love and praise them The still lesser ones - they fear them The still lesser ones - they despise them.

The people are hungry: It is because those in authority eat up too much in taxes.

Arms are instruments of ill omen. When one is compelled to use them, it is best to do so without relish. There is no glory in victory, and to glorify it despite this is to exult in the killing of men. When great numbers of people are killed, one shou

Go to the people. Live with them. Learn from them. Love them. Start with what they know. Build with what they have. But with the best leaders, when the work is done, the task accomplished, the people will say We have done this ourselves.

Of the best rulers, The people only know that they exist the next best they love and praise the next they fear and the next they revile. When they do not command the people's faith, some will lose faith in them, and then they resort to oaths But of the best when their task is accomplished, their work done, the people all remark, ''We have done it ourselves.''

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.'

When the best leader's work is done the people say, "We did it ourselves."

People in their handlings of affairs often fail when they are about to succeed. If one remains as careful at the end as he was at the beginning, there will be no failure.

Why is the sea king of a hundred streams Because it lies below them... If the sage would guide the people, he must serve with humility. If he would lead them, he must follow behind. In this way when the sage rules, the people will not feel oppressed...

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