Chapter 78

Nothing in the world is softer or weaker than water, yet for attacking what is firm and strong, nothing surpasses it—nothing can replace it.

Everyone knows that the soft overcomes the hard, and the weak overcomes the strong, but no one can put this into practice.

So a sage has said: “He who takes on his country’s disgrace is called the lord of its altars; he who bears the nation’s misfortunes is called its king.”

Words that are perfectly true sound like contradictions.