Non-contention is the highest state of life and the way of life for great wisdom. In Laozi's "Tao Te Ching", the author selected five famous sayings that represent Laozi's "non-contention" thought and explained them to help everyone understand Laozi's "non-contention" thought.

First, the "Tao Te Ching" says: "Great wisdom is like foolishness." Because wise men only do things and do not want to gain fame, wealth or status, they do not show their talents to others, so they look ordinary or even stupid on the outside.

Lao Tzu

People’s mentality of competing for fame, wealth and status is too strong, and they are too greedy for interests, which can easily lead to career failure. Only those who compete less or not at all for fame, wealth and status will succeed. Those who do not compete for fame, wealth and status are wise people.

Second, the "Tao Te Ching" says: "The sage does things without doing anything and teaches without saying anything."

Because great wise men (sages) do not strive for fame, wealth and status, they only do ordinary things in life and do nothing. This is "inaction". Because a wise man does not want to be a teacher, he teaches others without words. This is "teaching without words."

Having nothing to do and not using words to teach others shows the "indisputable" thinking of a great wise man (sage)

Third, the "Tao Te Ching" says: "The superior knows the inferior. There is.”

This means that because superior leaders do not strive for fame, wealth and status, they seldom do anything and achieve nothing. The people below only knew that he existed, but did not know what his merits were.

But leaders who do nothing work best. Because he gives his subordinates a high degree of trust, does not interfere with their work, and allows them to decide what to do. Subordinates feel that they can fully utilize their capabilities, so the work of the entire unit is optimal.

It is precisely because superior leaders do not pursue fame, wealth and status that the work of this unit is the best. From this we can see the benefits of "not fighting".

Fourth, the "Tao Te Ching" says: "The highest good is like water." The highest good is like water. Water always flows from high places to low places and lives in low-lying places. Living in low-lying areas reflects the idea that water is "indisputable". What is indisputable is the superior "goodness".

Most people pursue high status, while water wants to be in a low-lying place. Those who are willing to stay in a low-lying position are those who do not fight. People who do not fight have great wisdom. Zhuangzi was like this. He lived in poverty all his life. The king asked him to be the prime minister, but he refused to go. He is a typical example of someone who is very wise without striving for fame, wealth and status.

Tao Te Ching

Fifth, "Tao Te Ching" says: "Ruling a country with wisdom will bring harm to the country; not ruling the country with wisdom will bring happiness to the country."

That is to say, if the king is too clever or cunning in governing the country, the country will fall into disaster. Only when the king has no skills and only uses simple and plain methods to govern the country can the country truly develop well.

For example, in the late Qing Dynasty, there were multiple power groups at the top of the country, including the Regent Zaifeng and the Beiyang Minister Yuan Shikai, competing for power. Constitutionalists, revolutionaries and other factions fought overtly and covertly, causing chaos and serious decline in the country. . This is a typical example of how clever competition for power has caused chaos in the country.

In the early Han Dynasty, Emperor Liu Heng of Han Dynasty had a simple and simple way of governing the country. He wore a dragon robe made of black thick silk when he went to court every day. After wearing it for a long time, he patched it up and continued to wear it when he went to court. Every spring during plowing, he led the civil and military ministers to the fields to do farm work for seven days. His queen also took the lead in frugality in the harem. In order to save cloth, the queen never wore floor-length skirts. All curtains and curtains in the harem are not embroidered to save costs.

Under the simple methods of governance by Emperor Wen of Han Dynasty, the country developed rapidly. His period in office became one of the three most prosperous periods in Chinese history. This is a typical example of not governing the country with wisdom, but using simple and plain methods to make the country prosperous.

Using simple and plain methods to manage organizations is still practical in modern times and in the future. Wang Yongqing, the former richest man in Taiwan, lives a very simple life. One towel at home has been used for nearly 20 years. When he went out to inspect the company, he always stayed in the company's guest house. When Li Ka-shing was in his 90s, he still lived in the villa he bought when he was young and never bought another house. Even after becoming a rich man, the American stock market god Buffett still used to collect coupons and use them when paying for meals.

Don’t argue

Lao Tzu’s law that simple and plain people can achieve great things is applicable in the past, present and future.

Not fighting is the highest state of life.

Only when all the goals in your heart are achieved and you are satisfied with life can you stop pursuing fame, wealth and status and reach the state of "no struggle" as mentioned by Lao Tzu.