It isn't necessary for someone to know about the Tao to be a Tao sage.

Sage status also isn't dependent on a title. For instance, a I-Kuan Tao Master may be an administrator rather than a teacher. It's like how technicians at CERN know their jobs very well but cannot understand the theoretical physics behind the high-energy experiments they help conduct.

The sages I've personally met are in Taiwan. In no particular order as I recall from memory, they:

• Have a great sense of humor and live life with a lot of joy;
• Are always composed and serene (non-sages who imitate this become wooden and robotic instead);
• Apply the Tao to every aspect of life and thus become extremely effective while making it all seem so effortless (it's true -- but you really have to witness it over a period of time to know what I mean);
• Possess total mastery of EQ (Emotional Quotient);
• Are constantly sought by people for help with every aspect of life;
• Are at ease, content and grateful wherever they find themselves;
• Never toot their own horns and yet have a dignity about them that affects everyone;
• Are lifelong learners, constantly delighted by new ideas no matter how old they are;
• Do not take offense, never hold a grudge, and rarely, if ever, get angry or frustrated;
• Have an amazing amount of tolerance for those who are less refined;
• See something good in everyone and everything;
• Speak in a way that is practical and down-to-earth, and never with cryptic remarks;
• Don't do any of the pretentiously mysterious stuff ("Is that so? Hmm, how interesting..." while smiling and stroking goatee);
• Use intuition to see through facades and discern hidden agendas with incredible accuracy;
• Are consistently able to put themselves in others' positions and see things from different perspectives.

There aren't many people like them around, so I treasure each rare encounter with them!