Tao Te Ching
Lao Tzu
53 people recommended it in 27 threads, 2008–2026.
1 commenter pushed back on it — worth reading the threads.
What people on Hacker News said
The first philosophy and spiritual books I read, as a teen, were the Chinese classics - Confucius, Mencius, Chuangtzu, Lao Tzu (Tao Te Ching). All fascinating, a joy to read, deep. I'm very glad I happened to start there.
The text gives advice on both how to behave on a personal level and how to lead (and therefore what to expect from a good leader). It promotes the idea that ambition leads to strife and conflict and that the path to happiness is to be content with what you have.
I still find that it calms me to think about the ideas, and that it feels like someone has my back when I don't want to become the center of attention.
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.
The best book on leadership IMO is the Tao Te Ching, Ch. 17. It's very short, about ten lines, but it contains all that you need to know.
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