Laozi's Dao De Jing

Nations and peoples of the world did not come together as one when an existential threat faced all humanity.

Laozi and Zhuangzi both emphasize sincerity of emotion, the primacy of how it feels over how it looks, but like the eternal dance of beauty and terror, two aspects of the same Providence, there is a grand mystery here in the pair of contrasting sentiments.

Do by not doing; Matter by not mattering;

The wise don’t rely on weapons. Even when turning to them as a last resort, it’s best to treat them with indifference.

Knowing others is cleverness, but knowing yourself is wisdom.

The soft and weak triumph over the hard and strong.

Water can take the shape of any vessel, be it square or round. “In action, good is to be timely.” In spring, water carries; in winter, ice supports.

As a writer myself, I’m keenly aware of the instability of texts and the futility of tracing and enforcing authority.

I’m kind to those who are kind, but also to the unkind; In the end, kindness holds.