Laozi — "Difficult things in the world must needs have their beginnings in the easy; Big …"

"To yield is to be preserved whole. To be bent is to be straightened. To be empty is to be filled. To be worn out is to be renewed. To have little is to gain. To have plenty is to be perplexed."

"The superior man, when he hears of the Tao, endeavors to observe it."

"Abandon sageliness and discard wisdom, and the people will benefit a hundredfold."

"The five colors blind the eye. The five notes deafen the ear. The five tastes dull the palate."

"The best rulers are those the people barely know exist. The next best are those the people praise and acclaim. The next best are those the people fear. The worst are those the people despise."