Tao Te Ching – Chapter 19
In Chapter Eighteen, Laozi revealed the deep paradox of "the more you lack, the more you shout about it" through four counter-intuitive statements—benevolence and righteousness appear because the great DAO (Tao/道) has been abandoned, and loyal ministers appear because the state is in chaos. In Chapter Nineteen, Laozi offers his solution: since the much-touted "sageliness, wisdom, benevolence, righteousness, cleverness, and profit" are themselves products of the problem, the true way out is to let go of all these things and return to a simpler, more unadorned state. This chapter is Laozi's most direct and honest call for "subtraction" and "returning to the true self."
I. Original Text with Pinyin
绝圣弃智，民利百倍；绝仁弃义，民复孝慈；绝巧弃利，盗贼无有。
此三言也，以为文不足，故令有所属：见素抱朴，少私寡欲。
II. Interpretation
When a society elevates someone to the status of a "sage," it implies that everyone else is not a sage and must follow, imitate, and worship that "sage." The result is that ordinary people are diminished, and their self-worth is stripped away. People constantly think, "I must become like that sage," forgetting that they have their own path to walk. Laozi says: stop praising sages and stop glorifying cleverness—the people will live well on their own.
Remove the frameworks of "should," and people will naturally return to what they "already are." Tear down the slogans, remove the labels, and the most natural emotions between people will flow out on their own.
Laozi says: remove the soil of "cleverness and profit," and there will be no thieves. Not because of harsh punishments, but because without the temptation and culture of "cleverness and profit," people lose the motive to steal.
"Manifest plainness, embrace simplicity"—"plainness" is undyed raw silk, "simplicity" is uncarved wood. Raw silk and wood are what they are. Laozi says: return to that state—without adornment, without pretense, without disguising yourself as something else for others to see. You are what you are.
"Reduce selfishness, have few desires"—"few desires" does not mean "no desires," but "not having excessive desires." The desire to eat is normal; eating one bowl is enough. But insisting on delicacies is "excessive." The desire to be warm is normal; but insisting on brand names and competing with others is "excessive."
Together, these two phrases are Laozi's answer to "how to live": don't pretend, don't be greedy. A little more simple, a little more plain—that is enough.
III. Modern Relevance
Chapter Nineteen is Laozi's most concentrated discourse on "living with less." In an age of material abundance, information overload, and endless desires, Laozi's call to "abandon sageliness and wisdom" and "manifest plainness, embrace simplicity" is like a sobering remedy, making us pause and ask: are all those things we chase after really necessary?
"Three Abandonments": Piercing the Illusions of a Distorted Civilization – Don't Be Crushed by Benchmarks
Abandon sageliness and wisdom: Oppose the distortion of "sageliness and wisdom" into labels for self-promotion and tools for scheming. When society chases empty fame and replaces sincerity with shrewd calculation, the simple heart of the people is polluted.
Abandon benevolence and righteousness: Oppose formalized moral coercion. When "benevolence and righteousness" become slogans on everyone's lips, and filial piety becomes a performance on social media, true feelings are diluted by hypocrisy. Laozi believes that filial piety and kindness are natural expressions of human nature, requiring no external preaching.
Abandon cleverness and profit: Point directly to the root of desire. The mindset of opportunism and quick money distorts human nature and breeds all kinds of chaos. Abandon the opportunistic heart, do solid work, and you will gain lasting peace.
"Manifest Plainness, Embrace Simplicity": Don't Pretend – Be Your True Self
"Plainness" is one's true color; "simplicity" is uncarved wood. Laozi says: you are what you are. There is no need to package yourself as another person to please someone; no need to pursue things you don't truly want to seem "sophisticated"; no need to live a life that isn't yours to make others think well of you. An authentic, ordinary person is closer to happiness than a refined, fake one.
"Reduce Selfishness, Have Few Desires": Subtract from Your Desires
"Reduce selfishness, have few desires" is not about living a harsh life, but about distinguishing "needs" from "wants." You need water, but you want limited-edition mineral water; you need to be warm, but you want the latest seasonal fashion; you need rest, but you want to scroll through your phone until 3 a.m. Desires themselves are not wrong, but when desire becomes an endless chase—anxious when you can't catch up, still wanting more when you do—it becomes a cage. Stop occasionally and ask yourself: what am I really lacking?
In Chapter Nineteen, Laozi offers what seems like a "backward" suggestion—no sages, no benevolence, no cleverness. But this is not about making people foolish or stupid. It is about freeing people from those over-packaged "good things" and returning to the most authentic state of life. The true way out is not to become more complex, more clever, or more sophisticated—it is to become simpler, more plain, more sincere. Live like a piece of uncarved wood—not dazzling, but solid; not flashy, but real. Perhaps that is what we need most.
