Act like water
“The man of supreme good is like water”, Tao-tö-king, chapter 8
Water is, in the Tao, the symbol of the “good agent”, the perfect illustration of active passivity. Symbolized by yin, it teaches us that, in situations of conflict or impasse, forced passages, brutal confrontations are often as futile as they are large consumers of vital energy. They weaken the being while giving it the illusion of control and power. To act like water means to be calm in oneself and to analyze the problem under all its facets so as to circumvent the obstacle. This can mean temporarily suspending the action, resorting to unusual tools and paths, or even backtracking and questioning the validity of your objective or strategy. This is how the water, calm and stubborn, makes its way and reaches its goal without superfluous efforts.