Chapter 78

Nothing in the world is softer and weaker than water, yet nothing surpasses it in attacking the hard and strong, for there is nothing that can take its place. That the weak can overcome the strong, and the supple can overcome the hard, is known to all under heaven, but no one can put it into practice. Therefore the sage says: “One who bears the humiliation of the whole country can be called the lord of the land; one who bears the misfortune of the whole country can be called the king of the world.” Straightforward words may seem paradoxical.