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This Quick 10-Word Quote by Lao Tzu Can Clarify Your Life
It will change your reality of the conscious self.
In the Tao Te Ching, a short little book, Lao Tzu, the legendary Daoist philosopher, teaches how to live well. It’s one of those books you don’t finish but live with. You sit with it and reflect on it. And over time, it changes you. One of his wisdom that clarified my life is this ten-word sentence: “He who defines himself can’t really know who he is.”
Defining ourselves is natural. We do it all the time. Labels are everywhere: student, teacher, parent, friend. And describe our personalities: kind, funny, serious, extrovert, introvert. We talk about our hobbies, our jobs, our beliefs. We define ourselves by our roles, our beliefs, and our experiences.
You might say, “I’m a doctor,” or “I’m a Christian,” or “I’m a survivor.” These labels can be helpful. They can give us a sense of identity and belonging. But they can prevent us from seeing the fullness of who we are.
The Tao Te Ching teaches us about the flow of life. It suggests that you lose sight of your true nature when you hold onto definitions. Tzu teaches fluidity. His book encourages us to let go of rigid definitions. When you do, you can truly know yourself.