What does Taoism teach about humility?

The Tao Te Ching prizes humility and yielding as the way of true greatness: like the rivers and seas that are great because they lie lowest, the sage takes the low place, does not boast, and so is honoured.

How is the humility of Christ different?

Both traditions exalt the low place over pride. Taoist humility is alignment with the Dao's yielding way; Christian humility is revealed in a personal God who, in Christ, stooped to serve and die for love (Philippians 2). The sage descends to be great; the Christian says God himself descended to save.

Christianity & Taoism

Humility: The Sage and Christ

The Tao Te Ching prizes humility above almost everything: like water, the sage seeks the low place, does not boast, and so is honoured. Christianity holds up the humility of Christ, who, being God, humbled himself, took the form of a servant, and was obedient to death on a cross. Both exalt the lowly way over pride and self-assertion. The Taoist sage descends in order to be great; the Christian claim is that God himself descended.

What Taoism teaches

Yielding and lowliness, in the Tao Te Ching, are the secret of true greatness:

“The partial becomes complete; the crooked, straight; the empty, full; the worn out, new.”

Tao Te Ching 22 (Legge, 1891)

“That whereby the rivers and seas are able to receive the homage and tribute of all the valley streams, is their skill in being lower than they.”

Tao Te Ching 66 (Legge, 1891)

The sage does not display himself, does not contend, and takes the low place, and for that reason is honoured and effective. Humility is wisdom’s own posture toward the Dao.

What Christians teach

Christianity finds the deepest humility not in a principle but in a person: God himself stooping low.

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God... made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant... he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

Philippians 2:5-8 (KJV)

“And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.”

Matthew 23:12 (KJV)

Where they meet

Both hold that the low place is the true high place, that humility, not self-assertion, is the way of wisdom and greatness, and both distrust the proud and self-displaying.

Where they differ

For Taoism, humility is wisdom’s alignment with the Dao’s own yielding way; for Christianity, humility is revealed in a personal God who stooped to serve and die for love. The sage humbles himself to accord with nature; Christ humbles himself to save. Both bow low; the Christian claim is that God bowed lowest.

Tao Te Ching quotations: James Legge (1891, public domain, Sacred Books of the East); translations vary, compare others. Taoism spans philosophical (daojia) and religious (daojiao) traditions; we note where that matters. Bible: King James Version. Every reference on this page was checked against its source.

Frequently asked questions

What does Taoism teach about humility?: The Tao Te Ching prizes humility and yielding as the way of true greatness: like the rivers and seas that are great because they lie lowest, the sage takes the low place, does not boast, and so is honoured.
How is the humility of Christ different?: Both traditions exalt the low place over pride. Taoist humility is alignment with the Dao's yielding way; Christian humility is revealed in a personal God who, in Christ, stooped to serve and die for love (Philippians 2). The sage descends to be great; the Christian says God himself descended to save.

Come and see

The Tao Te Ching honours the way of humility, water, and yielding strength; the Gospel tells of a God whose power was made perfect in the weakness of a cross. The most direct way to know Jesus is to read his words for yourself. There is no pressure here.

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