ca. 6th century BC
Laozi
The author of the Tao Te Ching, of whom we know almost nothing, not even whether he existed. What remains are eighty short chapters on yielding that nobody has refuted in two and a half thousand years.
“He who knows others is clever. He who knows himself is wise.”
Laozi · Tao Te Ching
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
Laozi · Tao Te Ching
“He who has enough is rich.”
Laozi · Tao Te Ching
“Nothing in the world is softer than water, and yet it defeats the hard.”
Laozi · Tao Te Ching
Tao Te Ching, public domain. English rendering made for this site.