Fake Lao Tzu Quote

“Life and death are one thread..."

This is not a quote from the Tao Te Ching:

“Life and death are one thread, the same line viewed from different sides.”

       It amazes me that this quote ever got attributed to Lao Tzu.

       He was definitely not the one to speculate about death and its eventual meaning or nature. He made no hint at all in the Tao Te Ching of death being anything but the abrupt end of life.

       The quote makes little or no sense. If instead it said birth and death it would be understandable. At birth you have that long line of life in front of you, whereas at the point of death you have it behind you. Undeniable, though nothing more than a truism.

       Lao Tzu played with truisms in the Tao Te Ching, but he took them somewhere. He made them reveal profound things. But this quote is just a statement of the obvious – at best. Its wording really makes it completely meaningless.

       I can't find a Tao Te Ching version containing this quote. I can't even imagine what lines in the text can be misinterpreted this way. I suspect it is just a quote from wherever, attributed to Lao Tzu by someone along the way.

       Checking Facebook, I found no occurrence of the quote until a post from March 28, 2011. It states Lao Tzu as the author. There is a meme posted as well (the one above, illustrating this article). I don't know if it was made by Maria Manalang, the one posting it, or not.

       There are a couple of more quotes on Facebook each year from 2013 and 2016 (none in 2012), and in 2017 there is suddenly a bundle of them – although I made my search already at the end of March.

Fake Lao Tzu Quotes

Here are some fake Lao Tzu quotes I have found, in alphabetical order. Click the quote to get to the webpage where I comment it. I plan to add more false quotes in the future, so do come back.

       I have chosen quotes that exist in meme form (images with text), because they tend to spread the most all over the web, especially in social media.

       Click the quote to get to the webpage about it.

“At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.”

“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.”

“He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still.”

“If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the moment.”

“If you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will try to hold on to. If you are not afraid of dying, there is nothing you cannot achieve.”

“If you want to awaken all of humanity, then awaken all of yourself. If you want to eliminate the suffering in the world, then eliminate all that is dark and negative in yourself. Truly, the greatest gift you have to give is that of your own self-transformation.”

“Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.”

“Life and death are one thread, the same line viewed from different sides.”

“Man's enemies are not demons, but human beings like himself.”

“New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.”

“Respond intelligently even to unintelligent treatment.”

“The soul has no secret that the behavior does not reveal.”

“There are many paths to enlightenment. Be sure to take the one with a heart.”

“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.”

“When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everyone will respect you.”

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My Taoism Books:

Tao Te Ching

The Taoism of Lao Tzu Explained. The great Taoist philosophy classic by Lao Tzu translated, and each of the 81 chapters extensively commented. Click the image to see the book at Amazon.

       More about the book here.

Tao Quotes

The Ancient Wisdom of the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu. 389 quotes from the foremost Taoist classic, divided into 51 prominent topics. Click the image to see the book at Amazon.

       More about the book here.

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I Ching Online

The 64 hexagrams of the Chinese classic I Ching and what they mean in divination. Try it online for free.

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The ancient Chinese life energy qi (chi) explained, with simple instructions on how to exercise it.

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Creation stories from around the world, and the ancient cosmology they reveal.

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Other Books by Stefan Stenudd:

Cosmos of the Ancients

The Greek philosophers and what they thought about cosmology, myth, and the gods. Click the image to see the book at Amazon.

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Qi - Increase Your Life Energy

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Basic concepts of the peaceful martial art. Aikido principles, philosophy, and fundamental ideas. Click the image to see the book at Amazon.

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Life Energy Encyclopedia

Qi, prana, spirit, ruach, pneuma, and many other life forces around the world explained and compared. Click the image to see the book at Amazon.

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Stefan Stenudd

About me

I'm a Swedish author and aikido instructor. In addition to fiction, I've written books about Taoism and other East Asian traditions. I'm also an historian of ideas, researching ancient thought and mythology. Click the image to get to my personal website.

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