Lao Tzu — Knowing others is wisdom; knowing yourself is enlightenment.
Knowing others is wisdom; knowing yourself is enlightenment.Lao Tzu
Tao Te Ching, ch. 33
It is easier to study other people than to study ourselves. Lao Tzu calls the first wisdom and the second something higher — enlightenment — because turning the gaze inward is the harder, rarer work.
Reflection in a second language can become a quiet path to that inward turning. Writing slowly about your own day, in English, forces an honesty that fast, familiar thoughts often skip.
Words that widen the world
Deep understanding or insight, especially about oneself or life.
Synonyms: insight, awakening, clarity
Quiet reflection brought a small enlightenment.
Toward the inside; concerning one's own mind or feelings.
Synonyms: internal, inner, introspective
She turned her attention inward.
Common questions
It means understanding other people is valuable wisdom, but truly understanding yourself is an even higher, more profound achievement.
From the Tao Te Ching, the ancient Chinese text attributed to Lao Tzu, chapter 33.
Carry it with you
In your own words, what does this thought mean to you? Write three or four sentences in English about a moment when it felt true — saying it yourself is how it stays with you.
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