In the south the study of ethics was not widespread, and people were more liberated in their thinking, and given to deep and abstruse trains of thought. Furthermore Laozi did not make positive affirmations, but spoke of non-action, non-contention, emptiness and non-being.
老子是南方楚國人，未受周代禮制框框所限，倫理書風不重，思想解放，重玄思冥想，加上不做正面肯定，而說無為、不爭、虛無，一般人望文生義下，很容易曲解。