He whose (desires) are few gets them; he whose (desires) are many goes astray. - Laozi

" "

He whose (desires) are few gets them; he whose (desires) are many goes astray.

English
Collect this quote

About Laozi

老子 Lǎozi (c. 6th – 5th century BC) was a Chinese monist philosopher; also called Lao Zi, Lao Tzu, Lao Tse, or Lao Tze. The Tao Te Ching (道德經, Pinyin: Dào Dé Jīng, or Dao De Jing) represents the sole document generally attributed to Laozi.

Biography information from Wikiquote

Also Known As

Alternative Names: Ancient Boy • Ancient Master • Old Boy • Old Lord • Old Master • Sage Ancestor • Venerable Master • Hsuan Yuan Huang Ti • Hsuan Yuan Huang-ti • Hsuan-yuan Huang-ti • Lao Chun • Lao Chun Tzu • Lao Chun-tzu • Lao Dan • Lao Jun • Lao Jun Zi • Lao Junzi • Lao Kiune • Lao Tan • Lao Tse • Lao Tsee • Lao Tseu • Lao Tsu • Lao Tze • Lao Tzse • Lao Tzu • Lao Tzŭ • Lao zi • Lao ʒze • Lao-chene-tsee • Lao-chun • Lao-chun-tzu • Lao-kiune • Lao-tan • Lao-tse • Lao-tsee • Lao-tsu • Lao-tze • Lao-tzse • Lao-tzu • Lao-tzŭ • Lao-ʒze • Laochun • Laocius • Laodan • Laojun • Laojunzi • Laotan • Laotse • Laotsee • Laotsu • Laotze • Laotzse • Laotzu • Laotzŭ • Li Boyang • Li Dan • Li Er • Li Erh • Li Po-yang • Li Tan • Lâo ʒze • Lâo-ʒze • Sheng Tsu Kao Shang Ta Tao Chin Ch'ueh Hsuan Yuan T'ien Huang Ta Ti • Sheng Tsu Kao Shang Ta Tao Chin Ch'üeh Hsüan Yüan T'ien Huang Ta Ti • Sheng Tsu Kao Shang Ta Tao Chin Chueh Hsuan Yuan Tien Huang Ta Ti • Sheng Tsu Kao Shang Ta Tao Chin Chüeh Hsüan Yüan Tien Huang Ta Ti • Sheng Tsu Ta Tao Hsuan Yuan Huang Ti • Sheng Tsu Ta Tao Hsuan Yuan Huang-ti • Sheng Tsu Ta Tao Hsüan Yüan Huang Ti • Sheng Tsu Ta Tao Hsüan Yüan Huang-ti • Sheng-tsu • Sheng-tsu Kao Shang Ta-tao Chin-ch'ueh Hsuan Yuan T'ien-huang Ta-ti • Sheng-tsu Kao Shang Ta-tao Chin-ch'üeh Hsüan Yüan T'ien-huang Ta-ti • Sheng-tsu Kao Shang Ta-tao Chin-chueh Hsuan Yuan Tien-huang Ta-ti • Sheng-tsu Kao Shang Ta-tao Chin-chüeh Hsüan Yüan Tien-huang Ta-ti • Sheng-tsu Kao-shang Ta-tao Chin-ch'ueh Hsuan-yuan T'ien-huang Ta-ti • Sheng-tsu Kao-shang Ta-tao Chin-ch'üeh Hsüan-yüan T'ien-huang Ta-ti • Sheng-tsu Kao-shang Ta-tao Chin-chueh Hsuan-yuan Tien-huang Ta-ti • Sheng-tsu Kao-shang Ta-tao Chin-chüeh Hsüan-yüan Tien-huang Ta-ti • Sheng-tsu Ta-tao Hsuan Yuan Huang-ti • Sheng-tsu Ta-tao Hsuan-yuan Huang-ti • Sheng-tsu Ta-tao Hsüan Yüan Huang-ti • Sheng-tsu Ta-tao Hsüan-yüan Huang-ti • Shengzu • Shengzu Dadao Xuan Yuan Huangdi • Shengzu Dadao Xuanyuan Huangdi • Shengzu Gao Shang Dadao Jinque Xuan Yuan Tianhuang Dadi • Shengzu Gaoshang Dadao Jinque Xuanyuan Tianhuang Dadi • T'ai Shang Hsüen Yüan Huang Ti • T'ai Shang Hsüen Yüan Huang-ti • T'ai-shang Hsuan Yuan Huang-ti • T'ai-shang Hsuan-yuan Huang-ti • T'ai-shang Hsüen Yüan Huang-ti • T'ai-shang Hsüen-yüan Huang-ti • Tai Shang Hsuan Yuan Huang Ti • Tai Shang Hsuan Yuan Huang-ti • Tai Shang Hsüen Yüan Huang Ti • Tai Shang Hsüen Yüan Huang-ti • Tai-shang Hsuan Yuan Huang-ti • Tai-shang Hsuan-yuan Huang-ti • Tai-shang Hsüen Yüan Huang-ti • Tai-shang Hsüen-yüan Huang-ti • Taishang Xuan Yuan Huangdi • Taishang Xuanyuan Huangdi • Xuan Yuan Huangdi • Xuanyuan Huangdi
All quotes from Laozi Similar Quotes by other Originators
Works in ChatGPT, Claude, or Any AI

Add semantic quote search to your AI assistant via MCP. One command setup.

Set Up MCP

Additional quotes by Laozi

The snow goose need not bathe to make itself white. Neither need you do anything but be yourself.
white be-yourself
Find Similar
The past has no power to stop you
from being present now.
Only your grievance about
the past can do that.
What is grievance?
The baggage of old
thought and emotion.
inspirational
Find Similar
Limited Time Offer

Premium members can get their quote collection automatically imported into their Quotewise collections.

Contact Us Get Premium
If the people must be ever fearful of death, then there will always be an executioner.
Find Similar