The Tao Te Ching
善者，吾善之；不善者，吾亦善之；德善。
信者，吾信之；不信者，吾亦信之；德信。
聖人在天下，歙歙焉，為天下渾其心。
百姓皆注其耳目，聖人皆孩之。
The Sage has no fixed mind of their own; they regard the mind of the people as their own.
To those who are good, I am good; to those who are not good, I am also good. Thus, true goodness is attained.
To those who are trustworthy, I trust them; to those who are not trustworthy, I also trust them. Thus, true trust is attained.
The Sage lives in the world cautiously and harmoniously, blending their heart with the whole world.
The people all fix their ears and eyes on the Sage, and the Sage treats them all like children.
True wisdom requires dissolving the rigid ego to embrace the collective consciousness of others.
Lao Tzu begins by stating the Sage has no "fixed mind," meaning they do not cling to personal prejudices, rigid opinions, or selfish agendas.
Instead, they allow their heart to become a mirror, reflecting the needs and feelings of the people around them.
This is not a lack of personality, but a profound openness that allows for genuine connection.
When we hold too tightly to our own perspective, we create a barrier between ourselves and reality.
By emptying the self of judgment, the Sage becomes a vessel for universal understanding, merging their individual will with the flow of the community.
Think of a skilled listener who suspends their own autobiography to fully hear another's pain.
Or consider water that takes the shape of whatever container it fills, yet remains water.
Virtue is a constant internal state that does not depend on external validation or the behavior of others.
The text presents a challenging idea: treat good people with goodness, and treat bad people with goodness as well.
This is not about being naive or enabling harm; it is about maintaining the integrity of one's own character.
If your kindness depends on the other person being kind first, it is merely a transaction, not a virtue.
True power comes from an unshakeable commitment to benevolence that remains stable regardless of the environment.
By responding to hostility with kindness, you break the cycle of negativity and offer the "bad" person a chance to transform.
Like the sun that shines on both the garden and the weeds without discrimination.
Or a doctor who treats a criminal with the same care as a saint because healing is the doctor's nature.
Extending trust to the untrustworthy is a transformative act that cultivates deep integrity within oneself and others.
Lao Tzu argues that we should trust the trustworthy and also trust the untrustworthy.
This seems counterintuitive in a world that emphasizes self-protection, but the logic is profound: trust is a force, not just a response.
When you offer trust to someone who doesn't expect it, you appeal to their higher nature.
Withholding trust creates defensiveness and deceit, whereas offering it creates space for honesty to emerge.
Even if the other person betrays that trust, the Sage's integrity remains intact because their trust stems from their own abundance, not a calculation of risk.
A teacher who believes in a "troublemaker" student often sees that student rise to the expectation.
A leader who empowers a struggling employee often inspires loyalty that strict control never could.
The Problem: You are working with a colleague who is notoriously unreliable, abrasive, or competitive. You feel a strong urge to protect yourself by withholding information, gossiping about their behavior, or treating them with cold suspicion. This defensive stance creates a toxic feedback loop where their behavior worsens in response to your hostility, making the work environment unbearable for everyone involved.
The Taoist Solution: Apply the principle of "treating the not-good with goodness." Instead of mirroring their toxicity, maintain your own standard of professional kindness and transparency. Do not do this to change them, but to keep your own mind "unfixed" and free from bitterness. By refusing to play the adversary, you neutralize the conflict. Often, when an abrasive person meets no resistance and only consistent goodwill, their aggression loses its fuel, and the dynamic shifts naturally toward cooperation.
The Problem: Your teenager is acting out, lying about their whereabouts, and breaking rules. Your natural reaction is to tighten control, express disappointment, and withdraw your trust until they "earn" it back. This approach creates a battle of wills where the child feels judged and alienated, leading to more secrecy and a breakdown in the relationship.
The Taoist Solution: Practice the wisdom of "trusting the untrustworthy." This does not mean ignoring danger, but rather maintaining a fundamental belief in their goodness despite their current behavior. Treat them like the responsible person you know they can be. Say, "I trust you to make the right choice," rather than interrogating them. When a child feels that their parent's love and belief in them is unconditional—not a transaction based on behavior—they often stop fighting and begin to internalize that trust, eventually acting to preserve it.
The Problem: You find yourself in a heated debate with someone holding political or social views you find abhorrent. You feel a rising anger and a need to prove them wrong, label them as "ignorant" or "evil," and shut them down. This rigid mindset turns the interaction into a battlefield where no communication happens, only the reinforcement of existing biases and deepening division.
The Taoist Solution: Adopt the Sage's "no fixed mind." Instead of clinging to your identity as the one who is "right," try to merge with the other person's perspective. Listen to understand the fear or need behind their words, not just the words themselves. By treating them as a child of the Tao—worthy of compassion regardless of their views—you de-escalate the polarization. You remain centered, and your lack of judgment creates a safe space where actual dialogue, rather than combat, becomes possible.