Laozi

Fame or integrity: which is more important? Money or happiness: which is more precious?

Without going outside, you may know the whole world.

The heavy is the root of the light. The still is the master of the restless.

To yield is to be preserved whole.

The best way to manage is to manage very little.

When the great Tao is lost, there is 'benevolence' and 'righteousness'.

The best ruler is one whose existence is merely known by the people. The next best is one who is loved and praised. The next is one who is feared. The next is one who is despised.

The five colors blind the eye. The five notes deafen the ear. The five tastes dull the palate. Racing and hunting madden the mind. Precious goods keep their owners in fetters.

Do not exalt the talented, so that people will not be contentious. Do not value rare treasures, so that people will not steal. Do not display what is desirable, so that people will not be confused.

Governing a large country is like cooking a small fish. Too much handling will spoil it.

When the world has the Tao, the swift horses are used for hauling manure. When the world is without the Tao, war horses are bred in the suburbs.

The Sage manages affairs without doing anything, and spreads doctrines without speaking.

He who acts destroys; he who grasps loses.

The sage puts his own person last, and yet it is found in the foremost place; he treats his person as foreign to him, and yet it is preserved.

Fill your bowls to the brim and they will spill. Sharpen your blade to the sharpest and it will soon blunt.

Those who know do not talk. Those who talk do not know.

A multitude of words is tiresome, unlike remaining centered.

When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everyone will respect you.

To attain knowledge, add things everyday. To attain wisdom, remove things every day.

Time is a created thing. To say 'I don't have time' is to say 'I don't want to.'