Unnecessary government interference is easy to come by, whether in the form of rules, laws or direct intervention, and this will have adverse effects on the economy and the welfare of the people.
- The more laws and restrictions there are, the poorer the people become.
- The sharper men's weapons, the more trouble in the land.
- The more ingenious and clever men are, the more strange things happen.
- The more rules and regulations, the more thieves and robbers.
Taoism in the economic sense is similar to neoliberalism. Hayek, the leader of the Austrian School and neoliberalism, emphasizes the spontaneous market order and competition as a discovery procedure over government interventionist strategy in resource allocation.