道 dao, also romanized as tao, is the "force" that taoists believe makes everything in the world. it is very mysterious, and instead of spending a lot of time trying to explain what the tao is, taoists focus on living a simple and balanced life in harmony with nature. this is one of the most important principles in taoism. taoists also believe that conflict is not good and that if you have a problem with something, it is better to find a way around it.