Tao Te Ching Chapter 69

Translation by John H. McDonald

There is an old saying:

“It is better to become the passive

in order to see what will happen.

It is better to retreat a foot

than to advance only an inch.”

This is called

being flexible while advancing,

pushing back without using force,

and destroying the enemy without engaging him.

There is no greater disaster

than underestimating your enemy.

Underestimating your enemy

means loosing your greatest assets.

When equal forces meet in battle,

victory will go to the one

that enters with the greatest sorrow.

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Reference: Tao Te Ching