quote · Legacy record
If you celebrate the victory, it means you delight in the slaughter of people. The person who is satisfied with his present is a wealthy person. The man who declares himself of great wisdom is but a person who may only know the “superficial” Principle of the universe, a fool who likes to cheat himself. Between a person’s fame and his life, which one does the person treasure more? The journey of a thousand miles was began one step at a time. The Sage constantly has no set mind. Those who are good he regards as good and those who are not good he also regards as good. In this way he attains goodness. Those who know don’t talk about it; those who talk don’t know it. Beautiful words can be bought and sold. Great eloquence is silent. To understand others is to be knowledgeable; to understand yourself is to be wise. To know when you have enough is to be rich. To die but not be forgotten – that’s true long life.
If you celebrate the victory, it means you delight in the slaughter of people. The person who is satisfied with his present is a wealthy person. The man who declares himself of great wisdom is but a person who may only know the “superficial” Principle of the universe, a fool who likes to cheat himself. Between a person’s fame and his life, which one does the person treasure more? The journey of a thousand miles was began one step at a time. The Sage constantly has no set mind. Those who are good he regards as good and those who are not good he also regards as good. In this way he attains goodness. Those who know don’t talk about it; those who talk don’t know it. Beautiful words can be bought and sold. Great eloquence is silent. To understand others is to be knowledgeable; to understand yourself is to be wise. To know when you have enough is to be rich. To die but not be forgotten – that’s true long life.
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- Author or tradition
- Laozi (traditional attribution)
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- Contributor-provided wisdom reference (2014 AD)
Supplied reference B; unit 1062; PDF page 122; printed attribution: Lao Tzu
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