Lao Tzu (also written as Laozi) was an ancient Chinese philosopher and writer, traditionally considered the founder of Taoism (or Daoism). He is believed to have lived around the 6th century BCE, roughly around the same time as Confucius. Legend says he worked as a scholar and keeper of the royal archives for the Zhou dynasty before growing weary of society’s corruption, riding off into the west on a water buffalo, and writing the Tao Te Ching, the central text of Taoist thought, before disappearing.Whether Lao Tzu was a single historical person or a title representing a group of wise thinkers, his influence on Eastern philosophy is massive. Taoism focuses on living in harmony with the Tao (the “Way”), which is the natural, flowing order of the universe. Rather than forcing things, fighting against reality, or chasing endless desires, Taoism preaches simplicity, humility, and effortlessly moving with life’s natural rhythm.“Time is a created thing. To say ‘I don’t have time,’ is like saying, ‘I don’t want to” is one of the most memorable quotes of Lao Tzu because it is ageless. It teaches us something that we encounter every day — someone giving the excuse of little time and, in fact, clarifying their priority.
Nothing is rushed in nature
In modern Westernized culture, we tend to view time as a ticking clock, a rigid, scarce resource that is constantly running out. We divide our days into minutes, set strict schedules, and measure our worth by how productive we are.Lao Tzu and the early Taoists saw the world very differently. In nature, nothing is rushed, yet everything gets done, he said. Seasons change on their own, trees grow without straining, and rivers flow around obstacles without forcing their way through.To a Taoist, nature does not operate on a clock; it operates on presence and priority. When humans invented clocks, calendars, and rigid daily routines, we created the artificial concept of “not having enough time.” Lao Tzu’s philosophy reminds us that time isn’t a physical monster chasing us: it’s a mental construct shaped entirely by what we choose to care about.
Timeless quote on time
This quote is a blunt, radical reality check about human agency, responsibility, and priorities.Lao Tzu said time as we understand the concept in not an unyielding physical constraint like gravity. Time is made up of choices. Everyone on Earth gets the same 24 hours in a day. The fabric of a day expands or shrinks based on how we choose to fill it. When you say, “I wish I had time to exercise,” or “I don’t have time to read,” you are acting as if time is an external boss ruling over you. In reality, you are the creator of your schedule. You “create” time for the things you value, and you destroy time for the things you ignore.Not having time for something is a lie. If you don’t have time for something, it means you don’t want to do that. Lao Tzu strips away our excuses. He points out that saying “I don’t have time” is almost always a passive-aggressive translation for:“This isn’t a high priority for me right now.”“I don’t care enough about this to make room for it.”“I am unwilling to sacrifice something else to do this.”It forces us to own our decisions. If you truly wanted to do something, you would drop something less important to make room for it.While the quote sounds harsh at first, its deeper purpose is actually liberating. If time were truly a rigid cage beyond your control, you would be a helpless victim of your busy life. But if time is something you create, then you hold the keys. You are in complete control of your priorities. Realizing this allows you to stop feeling guilty about the things you don’t do. Instead of saying, “I don’t have time to learn a language,” you can honestly say, “I’m choosing to focus my energy on my career and family right now, so learning a language isn’t my priority.” That simple shift restores your personal agency.