The superior student listens to the Way and follows it closely. The average student listens to the Way and follows some and some not. The lesser student listens to the Way and laughs out loud. If there were no laughter it would not be the Way.

The leader's main job is to make themselves obsolete.

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

The world's beginning is its mother. To have found the mother is also to know the children. Although you know the children, cling to the mother. Until your last day you will not be harmed.

Give evil nothing to oppose and it will disappear by itself.

Goodness strives not, and therefore it is not rebuked.

Tao invariably takes no action, and yet there is nothing left undone.