Chapter 41 of the Tao Te Ching contains some of the most famous paradoxes in the text: the great square has no corners, the great vessel is late in completion, the great sound is barely audible, the great image has no form. Laozi describes how different people receive the Tao — the superior person hears it and practices it diligently, the average person hears it and wavers, the inferior person hears it and laughs. The Tao itself is hidden and nameless, yet it alone nourishes and completes all things.

— Laozi, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 41 "When the superior person hears of the Way, they diligently practice it. When the average person hears of the Way, they half believe and half doubt. When the inferior person hears of the Way, they laugh out loud. If they did not laugh, it would not be the Way."

Key Takeaways

• Three types of people receive the Tao differently: diligent, wavering, and laughing.
• The Tao manifests through paradoxes — the great square has no corners, the great sound is barely audible.
• If the inferior person did not laugh at the Tao, it would not truly be the Way.