Day 9 · Q1: Self-Knowledge · January 9, 2026
Pause. Breathe. Begin.
I . L E C T I O
Lao Tzu
Tao Te Ching, Ch. 33
“Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.”
C O N T E X T
The Tao Te Ching, attributed to Lao Tzu, was composed around the 6th century BC. This chapter draws a sharp line between external and internal mastery — suggesting that the harder and more valuable work is always inward.
I I . M E D I T A T I O
“In what area do you spend more energy mastering others than mastering yourself?”
I I I . S C R I P T I O
Write one sentence about one thing you can master only within yourself.
I V . C O N N E X I O
Lao Tzu and Socrates, worlds apart, agree: self-knowledge surpasses all other knowledge. Why does this idea appear independently across cultures?
This practice exists because of readers like you.
Sustain it →Tomorrow's passage, delivered at dawn.