A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Common saying ascribed to Lao Tzu
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"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" is a common saying that originated from the Chinese proverb 千里之行始于足下. The quotation is from chapter 64 of the Tao Te Ching, a foundational work of Taoism, ascribed to Laozi,[1] although it is also erroneously ascribed to his contemporary Confucius.[2] This saying teaches that even the longest and most difficult ventures have a starting point; something which begins with one first step.
| A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step | |||||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 千里之行始於足下 | ||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 千里之行始于足下 | ||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | A journey of a thousand Chinese miles (li) starts beneath one's feet | ||||||||||||
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The phrase is also translated as "a journey of a thousand miles begins from under the feet"[3] and "a thousand mile journey begins where one stands".[4]
Philosophy
The adage reflects the inevitability of the progression between the Chinese philosophical concepts of quantitative change (量变) and qualitative change (质变).
The preceding line in the original text is also well-known in China[5], and expresses a similar meaning: 合抱之木生于毫末 / 九层之台起于累土 ("A huge tree that fills one's arms grows from a tiny seedling; a nine-storied tower rises from a heap of Earth.")
