The expert in warfare

The Expert in warfare says:

Rather than dare make the attack

I’d take the attack;

rather than dare advance an inch

I’d retreat a foot.

It’s called marching without marching,

rolling up your sleeves without flexing your muscles,

being armed without weapons,

giving the attacker no opponent.

Nothing’s worse than attacking what yields.

To attack what yields is to throw away the prize.

Lao Tzu (Translated by Ursula K. Le Guin)

Man, I love this. I don’t think it is a statement on peaceful resistance. I had a sassy roomate once who taught me “Ali, it only takes ONE person to fight,” promting me to often ask him, “are we fighting?” Ha ha! I suppose that’s true, but if you don’t engage, the fight is much less satisfying for the one person fighting…themselves.

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