The Power in Effortlessness"Lead the organisation with correctness. Direct the military with surprise tactics. Take hold of the world with effortlessness. How is it so? Through this:"

"Too many prohibitions in the world and people become insufficient. Too many sharp weapons among people and the nation grows confused. Too much cunning strategy among people and strange things start to happen. Too many laws and regulations and too many criminals emerge."

"Thus enlightened people say: look to inaction and people will be naturally influenced. Look to refined tranquillity and people will be naturally correct, look to effortlessness and people will be naturally affluent, look to non-desire and people will be naturally simple."

In this passage, Lao Tzu suggests that leaders might unite the world if they could lead without interference and govern without restrictive social structures. Too many controls and regulations are a form of aggression against the natural processes of the refinement in people.

Taoists believe that people's instincts are basically fair and correct and become aggressive only in reaction to excessive force from restrictive laws and imposed morality. Leaders who try to repress people ultimately achieve the opposite. Such a force is self-defeating and in the process leads an individual or organisation into chaos.

Enlightened leaders reverse this process. They do not interfere when they can avoid it. They are a model of intelligent calm. They undertake projects where they are non-competitive and subdue in their hearts any desires for status and prestige. As a result the people they lead are favourably impressed and motivated and do not engage in cunning strategies.

In this way they are naturally united. (57)

History recalls how fascist regimes are always, in the end, brought undone by the actions of those who react against the extreme restrictions imposed upon them.