--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In ancient times, those who followed the…" description: "\"In ancient times, those who followed the Way did not try to give people knowledge thereof, but kept them ignorant.\" — Laozi" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/935/laozi-147_ancient_in-ancient-times-those-who-followed-the_1740642.jpg" --- # In ancient times, those who followed the Way did not try… ![“In ancient times, those who followed the Way did not try to give people knowledge thereof, but kept them ignorant.” quote by Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/935/laozi-147_ancient_in-ancient-times-those-who-followed-the_1740642.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/935/laozi-147_ancient_in-ancient-times-those-who-followed-the_1740642.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/935/laozi-147_ancient_in-ancient-times-those-who-followed-the_1740642.jpg) > “In ancient times, those who followed the Way did not try to give people knowledge thereof, but kept them ignorant.” [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ancient teachers kept knowledge hidden, preserving ignorance. **In simple terms:** They kept people ignorant intentionally. Key Takeaway Question the purpose of hidden knowledge. Themes knowledge ignorance authority Mood reflective serious Type philosophical political When to use this quote - education - spiritual practice - politics Key Concepts tacit teaching elitism Questions to Reflect On - Why hide knowledge? - How does secrecy affect society? A Different Perspective Keeping knowledge hidden can stifle progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ancient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient/) [Ancient times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient-times/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Taoism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taoism/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Common-sense is part of the home-made ideology of those who have been deprived of fundamental learning, of those who have been kept ignorant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-berger/common-sense-is-part-of-the-home-made-ideology-of-those-who-have-been/) [John Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-berger/) > [In ancient times music was the foundation of all the sciences. Education was begun with music with the persuasion that nothing could be expected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/in-ancient-times-music-was-the-foundation-of-all-the-sciences/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Ignorance is of a peculiar nature; once dispelled, it is impossible to reestablish it. It is not originally a thing of itself, but is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/ignorance-is-of-a-peculiar-nature-once-dispelled-it-is-impossible-to-2/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [In ancient times, people said that imperfect moves to becoming perfect. Are these words vain? No! Truly, by gaining Unity you come to Perfection!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/in-ancient-times-people-said-that-imperfect-moves-to-becoming-perfect/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [Man was so created by the Lord as to be able while living in the body to speak with spirits and angels, as in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emanuel-swedenborg/man-was-so-created-by-the-lord-as-to-be-able-while-living-in-the-body/) [Emanuel Swedenborg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emanuel-swedenborg/) > [In ancient times they had no statistics so they had to fall back on lies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-leacock/in-ancient-times-they-had-no-statistics-so-they-had-to-fall-back-on/) [Stephen Leacock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-leacock/) > [The role played by education in all political utopias from ancient times onward shows how natural it seems to start a new world with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/the-role-played-by-education-in-all-political-utopias-from-ancient/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [Wherever the title of streets and parks may rest, they have immemorially been held in trust for the use of the public and, time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-epstein/wherever-the-title-of-streets-and-parks-may-rest-they-have/) [Jason Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-epstein/) > [As everyone knows, the ancients before Aristotle did not consider the dream a product of the dreaming mind, but a divine inspiration, and in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/as-everyone-knows-the-ancients-before-aristotle-did-not-consider-the/) [Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/) > [Engaging the body in acts of being present with God, including certain ceremonial practices, opens us up to God in new ways. 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If he wants to lead people, he must follow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/if-the-sage-wants-to-stand-above-people-he-must-speak-to-them-from/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [Goodie-goodies are the thieves of virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/goodie-goodies-are-the-thieves-of-virtue/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [He that humbles himself shall be preserved entire. He that bends shall be made straight. He that is empty shall be filled. 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If you do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/what-is-a-good-man-but-a-bad-man-s-teacher-what-is-a-bad-man-but-a/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) [Explore all 1,140 Laozi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) ## More Ancient quotes > [“We ought to know the history of our ancient ancestors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/we-ought-to-know-the-history-of-our-ancient-ancestors/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [In ancient times, those who wished to illuminate the world with virtue first brought order to their nations. Wishing to order well their nations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/in-ancient-times-those-who-wished-to-illuminate-the-world-with-virtue/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Ancient eyes had stared at me, filled with ancient grief. And something more. 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It flew into two perfect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-garner/tentatively-i-stood-a-great-lump-of-wood-on-the-chopping-block-and/) [Helen Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-garner/) > [Men must speak English who can write Sanskrit; they must speak a modern language who write, perchance, an ancient and universal one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-must-speak-english-who-can-write-sanskrit-they-must-speak-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The Tao is the center of the universe, the good man's treasure, the bad man's refuge. Honors can be bought with fine words, respect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/the-tao-is-the-center-of-the-universe-the-good-man-s-treasure-the-bad/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [So too, monks, I saw the ancient path, the ancient road traveled by the Perfectly Enlightened Ones of the past. 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