All LAOZI Quotes about “Humility”

“ALL things in Nature work silently. They come into being and possess nothing. They fulfil their functions and make no claim.”
“The noble must make humility his root.”
“Gently eliminating all obstacles to his own understanding, he constantly maintains his unconditional sincerity. His humility, perseverance, and adaptability evoke the response of the universe and fill him with divine light.”
“He that humbles himself shall be preserved entire. He that bends shall be made straight. He that is empty shall be filled. He that is worn out shall be renewed. He who has little shall succeed. He who has much shall go astray.”
“Therefore the Sage, wishing to be above the people, must by his words put himself below them; wishing to be before the people, he must put himself behind them. In this way, though he has his place above them, the people do not feel his weight; though he has his place before them, they do not feel it as an injury. Therefore all mankind delight to exalt him, and weary of him not.”
“The Sage expects no recognition for what he does; he achieves merit but does not take it to himself; he does not wish to display his worth.”
“He who is great must make humility his base. He who is high must make lowliness his foundation. Thus, princes and kings in speaking of themselves use the terms "lonely," "friendless," "of small account." Is not this making humility their base?”
“Thus it is that "Some things are increased by being diminished, others are diminished by being increased." What others have taught, I also teach; verily, I will make it the root of my teaching.”
“What makes a kingdom great is its being like a down-flowing river,--the central point towards which all the smaller streams under Heaven converge; or like the female throughout the world, who by quiescence always overcomes the male. And quiescence is a form of humility.”
“The reason why rivers and seas are able to be lords over a hundred mountain streams, is that they know how to keep below them. That is why they are able to reign over all the mountain streams.”
“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.”
“All streams flow to the sea because it is lower than they are. Humility gives it its power. If you want to govern the people, you must place yourself below them. If you want to lead the people, you must learn how to follow them. The Master is above the people, and no one feels oppressed. She goes ahead of the people, and no one feels manipulated. The whole world is grateful to her. Because she competes with no one, no one can compete with her.”

More Laozi quote about:

You may also like:

Aristotle
Philosopher
Confucius
Philosopher
Friedrich Nietzsche
Philologist
G. I. Gurdjieff
Teacher
Gautama Buddha
Founding Figure
Han Fei
Philosopher
Mencius
Philosopher
Rajneesh
Guru
Sun Tzu
Strategist
Voltaire
Writer
Xunzi
Philosopher
Zhuangzi
Philosopher