Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power. If you realize that you have enough, you are truly rich.

This saying is commonly attributed to Laozi (Lao Tzu), the semi-legendary sage traditionally associated with the Daoist classic the Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching), compiled in China during the late Zhou/Warring States era (roughly 4th–3rd century BCE). The lines circulate widely in modern quotation collections in English and are typically presented as a single aphorism about self-knowledge, self-mastery, and contentment. In the Dao De Jing, closely related ideas appear in separate chapters rather than as one continuous passage, reflecting the text’s terse, verse-like structure and the fact that it survives in multiple recensions and translations.

The quote contrasts outward, comparative forms of achievement with inward cultivation. “Knowing others” and “mastering others” point to social acuity and coercive power—useful, but limited and unstable. “Knowing yourself” and “mastering yourself” elevate introspection, restraint, and alignment with the Dao as deeper wisdom and more durable power. The final sentence reframes wealth as sufficiency: recognizing “enough” dissolves the endless appetite that produces anxiety and rivalry. Taken together, the aphorism expresses a Daoist ethic of self-governance and non-possessive contentment, suggesting that the highest strength is not domination but inner steadiness.