The Way of Water, part 5, Be Strong yet Gentle

Be Strong Yet Gentle

"Nothing in the world is as soft and yielding as water, yet for dissolving the hard and inflexible, nothing can surpass it."
-Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

Water takes on many forms, and in those forms, it can be solid and strong or gentle and pliant. Even when it's flowing, water can wield incredible strength. At its most still and docile, it can contain tremendous depth. Water has power and endurance amid the toughest of conditions but will return to calm as an inevitable natural state.

In people, a tendency toward calm is an attribute of good character. While water can overpower its surroundings, as in a massive tidal wave, this is not water's nature, but a consequence of its environment. Water is, by nature, humble and serene.

Yet, as the Daoist sage Lao Tzu noted: "All streams flow to the sea because it is lower than they are. Humility gives it its power. If you want to govern the people, you must place yourself below them. If you want to lead the people, you must learn how to follow them."

This gentleness is not without power. Just as a calm person can better reason with others and melt away disagreement, water is able to dissolve more substances than any other liquid.
Stay tuned for Part 6, Reflect