Chapter 17

Chapter 17

The best leaders are those the people hardly know exist.
The next best is a leader who is loved and praised.
Next comes the one who is feared.
The worst one is the leader that is despised.

If you don’t trust the people,
they will become untrustworthy.

The best leaders value their words, and use them sparingly.
When she has accomplished her task,
the people say, “Amazing:
we did it, all by ourselves!”

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I can agree with Laozi on the point that a masterful leader is somebody that can make people think that accomplishments were made by themselves.

Nowadays, unlike the people of his times, citizens are not fools and have pretty much information and the ability to see through political affairs. I am, on the other hand, not familiar with the knowledge of politics or political issues, so I won’t discuss them.

However, I do find it surprising that an ideal leader that Lao Tzu had in mind was a sage that can make people think that they achieved prosperity on their own. A monarchy would usually focus on the idea of keeping the throne and sustaining one lineal dynasty and not much on other issues. Lao Tzu’s leader type seems to be more akin to a competent, honest leader sought in a contemporary democracy.