"Therefore it is because the sage never attempts to be great that he succeeds in becoming great."

"Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like."

"Lightly given promises must meet with little trust."

"He who talks much is soon exhausted."

"The best of men is like water. Water benefits all things and does not compete with them. It dwells in lowly places that all disdain. This is why it is so near to the Tao."