Dear Wisdom,
Please help us to fully comprehend the meaning of the excerpt from the Tao te Ching:
“The best warrior leads without haste, fights without anger, overcomes without confrontation. He puts himself below and brings out the highest in his men. This is the virtue of not confronting, of working with the abilities you have, of complying with the laws of Heaven. This is the ancient path that leads to perfection.” Verse 68
Please expand on this concept of leadership and confrontation. Much of our lives revolve around confrontation. Who to confront, why, how, and at what level of intensity? One needs to be assertive without being obnoxious. How can we be the proper warriors as described above? Thank YOU!
Care to comment, Wisdom?
Answser
A leader does not try to control his men by power.
He draws out their power.
Trying to force people to submit, creates a feeling of irritation on the part of the followers. One might win for the moment and can also cause the person to set up resistance.
A man does not earn people’s respect under these circumstances.
Fighting without competition invokes a willingness to try and understand another’s point of view.
The concept, “my way or there is no way” creates a feeling of resisting even if it is right.
Mahatma Gandhi is an excellent mentor in this area of dealing with people.
Not only his followers but also his opposition felt respect and a sense of worthiness in Gandhi’s presence.
Siddhartha lived with a mantle of peace.
Jesus was living in the foundation of love.
These leaders drew out man’s deeper feelings that lay in the heart.
These leaders lived the win/win philosophy of not making anyone feel like a loser.
They tapped into man’s goodness.
This passage is teaching man to nurture, respect; not confrontation.
It is a wise man that practices nourishing all to feel like they won something.
Thank you so much, Wisdom, with love.
You are welcome our little “willow tree”.
Willow trees have branches that bend with the wind.
When storms are brewing, stiffer branches can break in the wind.
It is the same for the mind.
When thoughts are rigid, the mind is not flexible.
Practice being a mental willow tree.
Instead of thinking no, think why not.
Willow trees are very graceful.
Practice being more flexible, like a willow tree.
The body will follow this action.
The Best Warrior Leads Without Haste 110113
