A Message to Educators: Achieve Without Claiming
What does it mean to truly nurture a human being? In this second reflection on the Dao De Jing, we turn to the natural rhythm of the Dao—its quiet tendency to lift the lowly, temper the excess, and restore balance. Against a world where education often reinforces privilege and competition, Laozi offers a vision of learning rooted in generosity and care. What if knowledge served not just the self, but the whole? This article invites us to reimagine education as an act of wholeness and love.
1/12/20253 min read
"All under heaven recognize beauty as beauty, only because there is ugliness.
All recognize goodness as goodness, only because there is evil.
Thus being and non-being create each other,
Difficult and easy complement each other,
Long and short shape each other,
High and low lean on each other,
Sound and silence harmonize with each other,
Front and back follow one another — this is the way of things.
Therefore, the Sage manages affairs without action,
Teaches without words.
Things arise, but he does not initiate them;
He acts, but does not claim possession;
He accomplishes, but takes no credit.
Because he takes no credit,
His achievements endure."
— Dao De Jing, Chapter 2
In this passage, Laozi unfolds the art of dialectical thinking and how it can be applied to education.
One way to approach this is by reflecting on the relationship between complexity and simplicity in educational practice.
Modern education, especially in many developed countries, often follows an "encyclopedic" model — filling students’ minds with an endless accumulation of facts and concepts.
However, this model has birthed significant problems: heavy workloads, stress, and the stifling of creativity.
Could a path of simplifying complexity offer a solution?
Laozi believed that "the greatest affairs of the world must be treated with simplicity," and "the most difficult matters must be approached from the easy."
This spirit is embodied in the Dao De Jing itself: only five thousand characters long, yet it embraces the profound truths of the universe.
Imagine an educational system where, instead of overwhelming students each year with mountains of new textbooks and scattered information, university freshmen are handed a single, slim guidebook — or a classic work — as their core study material.
Rather than being swept away by fragmented knowledge, students would embark on a coherent journey of exploring wisdom and immersing themselves in life’s real experiences.
Life itself is the greatest, wordless teacher.
It offers experiences and insights far richer than any textbook.
Through living wisely and learning from life directly, students develop genuine knowledge and true breadth of understanding.
As the old saying goes:
"Read ten thousand books; travel ten thousand miles.
Travel ten thousand miles; then read ten thousand books again."
The Subtle Art of True Education
The core message of this chapter of the Dao De Jing is about the art of accomplishment through dialectical practice:
Achieving without forcing.
Teaching without overt instruction.
Leading without demanding recognition.
From an educational perspective, this suggests that the best education is often invisible, blending seamlessly into life.
Formal schooling gives us a narrow slice of education; life itself provides the broader, truer education.
For educators and parents, this insight is invaluable.
Today's young people are growing up amid the turbulence of colliding civilizations, rapid societal change, and the inner upheavals of adolescence — often called the "rebellious phase."
During this critical period, many teachers and parents find that the harder they push, the more teenagers resist — just when they most need wise guidance.
This is where Laozi’s wisdom becomes essential:
Educate not by control or boasting, but by silent influence and humble example.
Act without attachment; guide without taking credit.
If an educator constantly reminds students that their achievements are due to their guidance, or insists that their efforts deserve gratitude, this sense of ownership over the student's success can feel oppressive — turning love and guidance into an unwanted burden.
Instead, true education works best when it leaves space:
Offering advice without force.
Allowing room for students to realize their own mistakes.
Leading them to remember and appreciate guidance naturally, from the heart.
True recognition arises from within the learner, not from external pressure.
This inner awakening is the real success of the educator. Thus, as Laozi says:"Because he takes no credit, his achievements endure."
It is precisely because the educator does not cling to the success that the influence lasts — quietly, deeply, and permanently.