# Avoiding needless disturbance: summary

Compares governing a large state to cooking a small fish and considers avoiding mutual harm.

https://sakimyto.com/en/classics/laozi/chapter-60-avoiding-needless-disturbance

## Source and summary

[Laozi · Dao De Jing · Avoiding needless disturbance](https://zh.wikisource.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%81%93%E5%BE%B7%E7%B6%93%20%28%E7%8E%8B%E5%BC%BC%E6%9C%AC%29&oldid=2354026#%E5%85%AD%E5%8D%81%E7%AB%A0)

> 治大國，若烹小鮮。

Compares governing a large state to cooking a small fish and considers avoiding mutual harm.

## Editorial interpretation

The example below adapts this chapter’s questions to modern work. Evaluate it against the actual purpose and conditions; ancient politics, warfare or ethics do not establish business results.

## Business application

Before repeatedly changing stable work, justify the change and assess its disruption cost.

1. Choose one relevant case and record its objective, available resources, verified facts and unknowns.
2. Compare options using this chapter’s perspective; choose a limited trial, owner, deadline and a measure to assess the result.

Deliverable: A comparison using avoiding needless disturbance, with conditions for acting or declining.

## Limits

The summary selects main points rather than translating every sentence. The example is not a demonstrated business method; check it against stakeholders’ conditions and actual evidence.

## Validation question

How does this chapter’s perspective change the selected option or priority, and what further evidence could change the decision?

[Laozi: a guide to the Dao De Jing](https://sakimyto.com/en/classics/laozi)

[This material](https://sakimyto.com/classics-data/entries/laozi/chapter-60-avoiding-needless-disturbance.en.md)

Updated: 2026-10-13 · v1.0.0