As a generally soft person, this gave me so much comfort. I always thought there was something wrong with me because of it. Regardless of how strong I've tried to be, I could never really accomplish it. This made me realize that there was nothing wrong with me all along
me too, i have aways thought that being a strong , dominating person is only one to win the situations , i have been always trying to be rigid as much as possible but i always turned out to be weak and soft, this video gave me content of myself for who i really am....
@@rationalised Yes. I think this is cause society paints that kinda picture often and there is so many who acts like that including maybe our parents. Its good that people realize these kinda things.😊 Okay i wrote this before watching the video and now realized he kinda tells this already :D.
Softness is what enables us to lean into our resilience and build our courage overtime. We have become so resistant towards any signs of weakness and vulnerabilities that we now automatically equate soft with weak. Not the same, thank you for the video
Being like water/being gentle is so easy yet challenging at times. We often try to control & force things to happen in our lives. But when we let go life unfolds effortlessly and you save much more energy.
Yes I agree and it's hard reversing back to the "ways of water" lol (Avatar) This comes from someone who's been floating like a piece of wood for decades and ended up being washed up on other people's shores, instead of following my own compass....i still have no idea where to go or what to do with my life, now i've frozen the water a bit, in order to get some stability BUT also people have walked all over me because of being watery, so i ended up a volcano fire & brimstones lol. Now that the steam is off....im trying to go back to the "ways of water" 💙🧘♀️ I must say with my experience, everything always turned out well in my favour when i indeed did flow like water & let things come and go as it wanted, instead of controlling or forcing myself others or situations to be a certain way. So yes as Bruce Lee says " Be water my friend"
@@jonber9411 that’s very similar for something I’ve heard Alan Watts saying. In one of his lectures( you can find on youtube, Alan watts lectures eastern wisdow and modern life) he stated that one way of be kinda of liberated from suffering, is to actually suffer, without resistance, or any complaints/negative thoughts about it. An example is about worrying, something we do very often. But what if you know worrying is bad, and you try to force yourself to stop worrying. In the end, what happens it’s similar to what einselganger said about in his videos of seeking happiness and reverse effort: try not to think about a elephant, you can’t, and the harder you try, the worse it gets, and you ended up in a vicius cycle. But, in the case of worry, of fear, whatever, if you allow yourself to do that, after a while it goes aways. So, Alan Watts ends his video talking about a toy, that has his center of gravity in a way that you can’t push it down, it always gets back up, because it yelds and doesn’t resist, contraty to any other solid object. Thus, he states that in order to be truly unshakable, you must not block(resist) and be yelding
I would use the more Taoist accurate terms of rigidity and flexibility instead of weak and strong. A flexible plant bends (adapts) to strong winds while a rigid plant breaks. Water flows around hard objects because it adapts itself while a hard object with run up against the rock. Taoists teach "softness" as adaptability and compliance rather than as weakness. Bamboo is one of the strongest plants for its size, but it bends and adapts to strong wind. Taoist "softness" is not a measure of strength, but adaption.
I think its useful how he uses the term "weak" to convey softness/flexibility because in many ways that is how those qualities are conceived by our society.
@@lidsss1 But that's not how Taoism looks at it and he's trying to convey a Taoist lesson about Taoist principles. It's a disservice to bend Taoist ideas to make them more "Western friendly". The very reason Western society misunderstands flexibility and adaptation as weakness or softness is the exact problem.
@@username2872 Because people who are unfamiliar with Taoism will take the labels literally and then become confused or jump to conclusions based the image being painted inaccurately. It's easy for someone versed in Zhuangzi and Laozi's teachings to mentally replace the inaccurate word, but people new to Taoism don't have that going for them.
_“Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves._ _Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”_ ― Bruce Lee
This whole video is missing the crashing part of this quote. Just as the waves have got to crash upon the shore at some point you will be bound to use force.
To be gentle as a warm hearted feather And as solid as concrete As ferocious as a lion Is an art within itself People mistake love and kindness with weakness For they don't have the wisdom to understand the immense strength it carries And the heart of the lion Is far more powerfull than its roar
The more I learn from many religions, philosophies, and just general wisdom throughout society as I travel. The more I find that the greatest philosophical wisdom for life there is, is to be balanced. Everything comes back to this. Not too little or too much of any one thing. Like the Yin and Yang. You have a little of yin in the yang and vice versa, and you have both flowing into each other. Balance.
Our whole universe, as do our minds, seeks a neutral, balanced state. By striving for balance we merely act as a continuation of the "will of nature", both spiritual and physical. Balance is standing on the dividing line between yin and yang
If you put all the religious symbols side by side, the Taiji (yin&yang) is by very far the closest to the true nature of life. It's not antagonizing, it shows the duality of life and how it's a neverending dance. It tells a story everyone on the planet can understand at first glance without any context, all on its own in a single image. It's the perfect symbol.
I’ve always been told “You’re too soft” and “you need to be more aggressive” even though I’m gentle by nature so hearing this is reassuring. For a lot of people it’s much more difficult to be nice rather than mean in this world sometimes. I always find great admiration in those who remain kind and calm even in the toughest of situations
As an educator I often try to teach students that insecurity is often a sign of sensitivity, read caring for who might be hurt by consequences. And I think the world needs much more sensitive leaders, not 'strong man' with tunnel vision.
It depends on how insecurity expresses itself, or doesn't. Many insecure people devote to strength, rigidity, in order to fit in and make it in the system. The true softness taught in a Daoist context comes from cultivation of internal power and leads to a feeling of security. Retreat from society and its clashing points is just another way of managing insecurity. Sensitivity can lead to confusion and thus insecurity, though, when one seeks blame in oneself because gaslighting influences by other insecure people are accepted.
@@Dowlphin Great addition. For me, kindness, and awareness are helping to be soft, and the toughen up I see as a false dogma. But there are a few people who thrive on hard work and some who benefit from retreating. Those that retreat out of fear, avoidance should dig deeper.
This reminds me of the story of the Willow and the Oak. People tend to admire and want to emulate the great Oak tree because it is big and strong and sturdy, but, when a big storm comes, the Oak can be completely toppled, pulling its roots from the ground. Whereas during the same storm the Willow tree being supple and pliant will bend, sometimes almost all the way to the ground, but when the storm is over it springs right back up into place, thus surviving.
Most definitely! "No one is more dangerously insane than one who is sane all the time: he is like a steel bridge without flexibility, and the order of his life is rigid and brittle." -Alan Watts
Big willows also fall down and oaks when young are supple. So thats more a feature of being large ...also depends on the roots and the crowdedness of the forest ... if very crowded trees grow fast and tall and not strong like the oak and though young and thin they are quite sucseptible to storms. And if its an evergreen pine they have very shallow roots ..so a lot of the willows and hazel here will fall because they are planted too close together. The big oak trees often lose a branch but have withstood many hundreds of years storms lightning etc and generally pretty damn strong. One of the reasons a willow will regrow when toppled is not because it is soft and yeilding but because it has growth hormone throughout the whole tree so any peice of it left can grow roots again from a branch etc.
Such wise words. I realized I want to imitate the qualities of water. "Nothing can compete with it" What I liked about the water is it seeks the lowest position. That is humility. Something I need to learn. I need to learn how to be more gentle. Listening & being humble.
As a Finn just innocently listening to a video of Taoist teachings, I questioned my sanity for a long second when you suddenly started talking of my small country. Kiitos for bringing us up 🙏🏻🇫🇮
Wonderful clip. A lot of these philosophies, I have always known intrinsically since I was a child. But along the way I got fooled into thinking we must be the strongest, toughest, and most dominating to survive and thrive in a materialistic world. This is a great reminder that the latter is an illusion that can lead us to break, instead of bend.
Your videos has inspired me for years man. The way you summarise huge philosophies into something short, enjoyable and very relevant for modern age is astounding!
Softness and soft power is the way to go.Become gently flowing water.Don’t project,force or try to dominate in life with you expectation of everything to go your way. Just let go and be gentle and let everything be. So much will come back to you! I am very physically strong as a person,but getting flexible now in my core as I practice various yoga asanas. I am accepting softness and embracing vulnerability now
I hardly comment on any youtube video but this one is life changing. As a human being , we are trying hard to get best out of the situation , fighting for everything so that we could get ahead of others. The entire education system right from our childhood force us into this unending loop of belief where comparison with others become a new normal. But this video changed my decade old belief that strength is not the only answer to navigate the complexities of life infact its just not sustainable in the long run , its softness ..being flexible and accommodating is the secret for a sustainable and content life. Thank you Einzelganger for teaching me the importance of being like water , "seek the lowest yet be the most important".
That example of the tiger is so true. When I was painting the deck in my backyard last summer. A neighbor dog kept barking at me for 10 minutes. I said nothing and continued to paint. The dog eventually stopped barking and adapted to me lol
Being a soft hearted person was tough in the modern society until I started practicing Bhakti Yoga. Devotion channelizes my sensitivity so well. I feel proud and powerful with this sensitive heart ❤️ Goal of my life is to purify myself more and more 😇
_I tried to imagine the most powerful superhero for a story. It was a boring story since nothing happened. The hero was so powerful as to solve all problems before they formed._ Power and effort are inversely related. The most powerful exert the least effort. Fear belongs to those who must exert the most effort: They do not believe they possess the ability to exert sufficient effort in times of crisis. -Some recent shower thoughts I've had. Good video - thanks!
That thought I had too. Hence we are also bombarded with dystopian and post apocalyptic futures, for they are full of drama and fights over limited resources. So what we need is a drama series in a great future, with human flaws. ;)
I disagree. In most cases, *power is the result of effort*. Michael Jordan trained harder than anyone he ever ran into. He isn't the goat because he was born more gifted than any man on earth(he wasn't). He is the goat because he took his natural ability and combined it with insane effort and determination, which in turn made him the most powerful. Millionaires and high achievers work insane hours to achieve and maintain their status, not less. The best artisans dedicate their life to their craft, they are not born sculpting Pietas with minimal effort. If you stick to fantasy, like in your superhero statement, sure, you could make a man into a god(like Superman), and thus he can do everything by default and it's an uninteresting story. That has nothing to do with reality.
This is one of your best videos I would say. I have been criticized for being soft when asking questions or being silent but you proved those wrong who criticized me by explaining that scenario in this video. Also now I am able to relate how to 'fit in' by being more adaptable like water as said by you while explaining the 'survival of the fittest' part. Thanks for this masterpiece.
Amazing. I was reflecting about this earlier today. The hard and the soft are as the Tao, they complement each other, you can' t choose one over the other. It is a delicate balance, to live well, one has to know when to be hard and when to be soft. Thank you once more. Einzelganger.
Yes, it’s called common sense which most people lack. At times i think that even if you have a P.h.D., but lack common sense you’re doing a disservice to our planet.
@@SkyScannerBtown Sometimes you have to stand up for yourself, for example you shouldn't put up with disrespectful and nasty people but rather cut ties with them.
Softness but with dominance. My softness makes people walk all over me because I tried to live an ideal world of "there's no hierarchy, we're all equal" so I feel bad to put myself above anyone even if I may be a manager, or teacher, and voila! My softness killed me that the only way to draw boundary is by being harsh, hard and project anger.
Softness is accepting is that some people are just bad or just unhealthy to be around and no amount of domination can change that. Being soft is to save your energy instead of constantly getting into fights. That anger could be better used pushing away your shyness and trying to establish new, healthy relationships.
Beautiful✨🦋 just what I needed to hear in creating a better bond with an elderly who’s been very hostile, bitter, and angry…I’ll come from a place of love, compassion, understanding and lots & lottts of patience😊 which will in return help me to grow and learn🙏🏼 I appreciate this content so much 🙌🙌 Thank you!!
Watching your video indeed reminded me of an old story I once encountered about an oak tree engaging with a swamp reed in a debate. The oak mocks the reed for being small and feeble while boasting that itself, is strong and firmly rooted to the ground, even in times of storm. Indeed, a storm does come and the oak stands, as expected, and the reed is swayed. The storm grows stronger and stronger. Eventually, though, the oak loses its ground and falls to the ground, roots and all, whereas the reed, though feeble, retained its stance and unscathed. Watching this video did help me establish the connection between these two outlooks, but I also understood that true power doesn't originate from the widely accepted definition of strength, but from the fact that having true strength arises from a manifestation of your identity and a belief on yourself.
This was likely the inspiration for Tarkovsky who wrote this for his film “Stalker”: “Let them be helpless like children, because weakness is a great thing, and strength is nothing. When a man is just born, he is weak and flexible. When he dies, he is hard and insensitive. When a tree is growing, it's tender and pliant. But when it's dry and hard, it dies. Hardness and strength are death's companions. Pliancy and weakness are expressions of the freshness of being. Because what has hardened will never win.”
this was amazing! changed my perspective rather, I've always looked at this characteristic in me as a weakness , something that needed to be overcome but learnt it must be embraced.
Bruce Lee, one of the greatest martial artists of our recent history, taught us to "be water". All true strength is founded on softness. Gojyu-ryu, one of the main schools of karate, literally means "firm-soft style". Be like water, and you will be able to be strong in times of need.
This is excellent information have used both approaches ruined my first career being using what I thought was my strength came to this realization that if I’m lowest and help full with out imposing my knowledge or will just let go and help I never made more positive work relationships that people would do anything to help. Stay humble which Is not always easy. Just be a helper for good. Good for goodness sake’s is my motto. Love life.
It’s become easier to be quiet when I have knowledge but to ask questions to get more knowledge is something I’ll have to do in the future :) thanks for this !
Very nice. It is true that whatever puts out lots of force can have it deflected upon itself and it is also true that something that can adapt without force really can overcome anything
This is the most significant video you have ever made, as a man of peace, who has been mistreated and ridiculed, I stayed the way I am and thus am loved by many. Moreover, I studied social sciences with emphasize on deviant behaviour and social control and everything you said about prisons was correct to the last letter. Thank you, Bei
this is such a great video. as a person who is not strong enough in some ways, this gave me hope that being soft doesn't equate being weak. i find being soft calming, and easy to understand people.
Powerfull insight in a timely manner, is sudden wisdom and what the world needs now! “The rigid will break, the soft and yielding will overcome.” Yoda could not do better. Indeed, soft, gentle Water is the most potent element in the Universe that not only wears-away rock, crumbles mountains, douses fire, churns wind, and permeates all living things, but water is a rare compound that also transmutes states of matter (solid crystal to liquid, liquid to vapor to solid crystal, and repeat) in cyclic manner and has done so for countless eons. Water not only sustains Life but is Life itself. As Bruce Lee once said, “Be water my friend”. Monkey Mind is the default mind-program of our species that operates in the background of every person on the planet and is our own worst enemy, if not only to our Gaia planet, a home and refuge to us all. Laws, religions, and business models were all created in the context of Monkey Mind. Indeed, Business Mind is Monkey Mind on full display. If there was a singular cause for ALL the problems in this world, undoubtedly it is Monkey Mind. It is the default program of our species (dogs just know how to be dogs, elephants just know how to be elephants, etc) and this program operates in the background of every person … from peasants to presidents, from popes to professors, from doctors to prisoners, and so on for eons past. The 3 Elements of Monkey Mind were elucidated by ancient Hindu and Buddhist philosophers with texts dating back 5000 years. Many monkey habitats have thrived throughout Asia and make easy subjects to observe and investigate. In contrast, the 3 Abrahamic religions were conceived in regions barren of simian/monkeys/apes and for the few that existed there in those times were displayed as exotic curiosities and kept as imprisoned pets. Therefore, to the detriment of succeeding civilizations, Abrahamic religions missed out on key understandings of, “who are we” and thus synthesized mythologies based on magical thinking and story telling to enslave the minds of many. But Truth, just like the sun and the moon, cannot remain hidden! The 3 Elements of Monkey Mind are common to many other animals on this Planet of the Apes, however, through specific practices it is possible to breakthrough our default program and attain enlightenment (many in throughout history have). Past civilizations attempted to elevate society above our feces-flinging ancestors, but had limited success. And so, the 3 Elements are: 1) Limitless Greed - nothing is enough for us, especially if it is pleasurable to the senses or rewarding to ego. The popular idea that ‘greed is good’ has many fans. Ex: Got a pay raise? Not enough, want more! Enjoyed sexy time? Not enough, want more! Feeling powerful with a gun? Not enough, need more power! Etcetera ad nauseam. 2) Tireless Fear - Nothing in life is certain, except uncertainty. Uncertainty is certain and indeed, is a Law of Physics. One can plan, scheme, organize, rehearse, but tomorrow is still uncertain. Fear is the result of uncertainty and inability to control variables beyond one’s reach. Fear is crippling and keeps people from living life fully and maintaining happiness. Governments and businesses (insurance industry in particularly) understand and exploit peoples’ fears to enslave and dominate their patrons. 3) Impassive Dominance - monkeys seek the highest position in the trees, especially when under threat, to get ‘above it all’. People ambitiously seek the supreme by reaching and grasping for higher social status (fame), higher career positions, higher educational degrees, higher athletic achievements, higher domicile dwellings (skyscrapers), higher highs, etcetera ad nauseam, all believing it will reduce their suffering but often has the opposite effect! These 3 Elements (Limitless Greed, Tireless Fear, and Impassive Dominance) have not been sufficiently managed by the ancients(if no-one’s teaching it then no-one knows it) and so today’s civilization continues to bring suffering to itself and the planet and all life living on it. In fact, the only thing man-kind has mastered is imprisonment! Man can cage, bottle, ensnare, entrap, enslave, mostly anything his Monkey Mind desires with few exceptions. However, through practicing the 3 Virtues of Human Mind, we could transform suffering into happiness. The 3 Virtues of Human Mind are: 1) Limitless Generosity - you will always have more than another in need and kindness does not cost anything. Practicing limitless generosity alone can generate an abundance of positive merit (good Karma) to turn the Wheel of Becoming. It is a powerful practice that does not have involve money, but just being helpful to others - the definition of Human Being is sufficient. To the giver, comes the fullness of life. To the greedy, just an empty hand. 2) Tireless Trust - trust is the foundation of human civilization (past-present-future(?)). Trust forms the basis for all relationships. It builds confidence and instills security. Trust implies an understanding that we are all same, with same circumstances and our survival depends on our trust. “Trust yourself, Trust Others, Trust God” is a wonderful book for everyone with trust issues or without! Most importantly Trust dispels Fear and opens a world of possibilities! Do not fear your enemy, for he is your greatest teacher! 3) Passive Abiding - dominance is rigid and unyielding, therefore subject to fracturing and breaking. Abiding is soft and conforming, like water. Our bodies are 70-80% water, for it is the most powerful element in the universe, yet it is soft and abiding. Water conforms to its’ surroundings, seeks its’ own level, extinguishes fires, wears away rock, moves the wind, permeates all life, and transmutes states of matter (from solid, to liquid, to vapor) in cyclic forms. Water gives life! If it isn’t Life itself! Just get with the flow and as Bruce Lee famously said, “Be Water, my friend”! Practicing these 3 Virtues causes a breakthrough in Monkey Mind and can transform this planet’s tragic history. But it can not be forced or indoctrinated because truth speaks for itself. As Michael Jackson once sang in “Man in the Mirror”, “… that’s why I’m starting with me!” It is more than a catchy tune, but profoundly insightful and effective! (Though, it is about Dharma and not mutilation of genitalia)! The essence of our being is after all pure energy, that according to I. Newton, is neither created nor destroyed, only transferred or transformed. We are all compounded aggregates genetically composed of 25% mommy, 25% daddy, and 50% Creator/God/DivineLight/Allah/Ra/Jeweh/GalacticCenter/etc. The DarkSide obfuscated this ancient knowledge long ago when we were still a feces-flinging race and had constructed a system of slavery that has been operating for many eons (2500 years) upto today. To Team Dark, true Liberation is a threat to the business model of systemic exploitation, i.e. slavery, today known as Capitalism. Keeping the masses drunk on greed, consumerism, and kept ignorant to the Universal within has yielded Team Dark large profits with little effort. Truth is Liberating and cannot remain hidden. Karma is the Great Equalizer that brings balance to all things, from macro to micro, throughout all solar systems and galaxies in the cosmos. Simply put, Karma (Natural Law) rewards wise action and punishes ignorant ones. Anger, hatred, and greed are the three poisons that Monkey Mind thrives upon and thus generates self-inflicted suffering. But it doesn’t have to be that way and transforming Monkey Mind to Human Being Mind yields epic spiritual experiences. There is no alternative to our Gaia Earth and we must all learn to coexist in unity. The longer we live, the more we learn. And Gaia has much to teach. H. Sapiens divorced themselves from Nature long ago and missed teaching opportunities so necessary to honor the gift of Life! Like all rivers empty into the oceans, we too return to what we create for our future selves. We should live The Way of Water! ✌🏼🌞🙏🏼 🐝
Your videos are really helpful and comforting. I had become rigid as a result of my speculations of the world's deceit. I thought that since the world functions on the prinicples of 'an eye for an eye', I should respond the same way. But after watching your videos on Taoism and Stoicism, I stand corrected. Thank you!
I'm not sure I agree if softness is weakness. Being soft, tolerant, and persistent requires strength. Weakness would be crying over things not going your way, getting angry, throwing tantrums etc.
Fear and Excitement, the same. Love and Hate, truly the same. Weakness in its own perspective is in fact strength, and softness is just the inverse of hardness, not really made of anything different, just different form
I agree. Strength or power is the capacity one has to do something; the control, mastery of it. Through hardness, this is standing firm and remaining chin up when appropriate, a degree of rigidity, hardlining. Through softness, this is control and mastery by being adaptable, flexible and more thoughtful. This isn’t flabbiness, it’s water. Both softness and hardness comprise strength. Both require active engagement and being, softness is active because it is a purposeful means of being (through ironically, it’s accomplished by ‘not trying’; but this itself is active). Softness and hardness are used when it is needed. Complete clarity is here. Weakness, on the other hand, denotes little to no capacity one has to BE in any purposeful way; no control, no mastery, no focused intent. Weakness is surrendering your choices to the whims of others and calling it fate. It is entirely passive, flabby, and involves remaining in delusion and being deluded; no clarity.
Wait, so I'm basically living like a Finnish prisoner? 😂 Jokes aside, I really love your content. I'd love to see you do a video on Lagom, the Swedish principle of 'just enough'.
I can’t stop thinking that the concept of power through softness in Daoism is related to the great stoics. Being flexible implies faith that you can attain a positive outcome, regardless of the path taken.
Man! I freaking LOVE your videos. I watch all of them over and over learning and absorbing your lessons about philosophy. And I am adding these lessons to my life. Thank you! 9:30
This is one of the most challenging topics in Taoism. I feel like it's easy to misunderstand it. To put it in the simple statements, I believe Taoism simply making this points: You don't have to get more resources to have more of them, you can just spend them more economically. Both positions have pros and cones. I can't agree with the notions it's always best to spend less than to get more, albeit the former is in general more sustainable. You can imagine to men, big one and small one, in the island with limited food. Small will require less food, but the big one can the small one food. So it's obvious in this simple situation it's better to be the strong one. You don't always have space to run. You don't always have room for negotiations, pleas or coexistence. But it is, undoubtedly, a good thing to have less needs and to avoid any restriction to your movement. The Taoism offers us a good insight on how you can become more powerful by seemingly becoming weaker and smaller. You don't have to always grow. And, well, all the talk about moving with the flow and being soft and flexible, it's just a fancy way of telling that prioritisation, ability to spend your energy in smarter, less "expensive" in terms of resources ways are useful tools in achieving your goals, if you can get results in this way. And, finally, it's important to pick your goals wisely. Because you won't last long if you try to die on every hill you come across. A guy who constantly fights will sooner or later be finished with crippling injuries
Vulnerability is power as it helps you connect with the hidden parts of yourself and accept yourself more freely! It is to be embraced and not run away from!
I think its important to have strength but treat the world softly. Be able to protect those who need it, and be able get a tough job done, have the capacity for strength but the wisdom to know when its not needed, which is most of the time. Someone weak not using aggression doesn't mean they wouldn't use aggression if they had strength. The number of people that would steal if the police disappeared would surprise us all.
Excellent reasoning and sharing of wisdom once again.... I almost feel like I sigh with relief with every new video of yours I watch, as a few pounds of life's pressures lift from my shoulders. Thank you.
I learned subconsciously in my childhood by listening to family and others to be strong. Strongness turned into controlling behaviors not knowing that's what you are doing. And Marraige fell apart. Truly softness, slow living sorts of things are powerful than being aggressive and hustle culture/concept.
You know it can be good to sit back and allow others their space. But it you're already very naturally flowy, it can be extremely dim witted to not share your knowledge and what you know. It's a good thing to share your piece when you feel called to it rather than holding back all these gems of info. Pointed questions are great to help the other person believe they have thought of it themselves, however if they genuinely don't have good information, you've got to feed it to them. Positive Feedback loop
You don’t control your thoughts, nor how you feel about things, nor which sensations you feel in your body. That’s the only thing to look at - because once you see that, you see you’ve lived your entire life with a belief in control - that you are chooser and the decider. And that belief, natural as it is, is simply incorrect. The ‘softness’ of the Tao isn’t necessarily softness in real life, though it can be. It’s softness, in one’s mind, seeing the inevitability of the now - of what you are thinking and feeling right now - that you can't change those things, nor can you choose those things. 'Softness' is simply submitting to thinking and feeling what one thinks and feels, because you see the truth: there’s no other way it could be. How would you even choose a thought? By how it, or its implications make you feel, right? Except you don’t choose how those things make you feel, nor which thoughts you think. It all starts and ends there. This isn’t justifying any given thought or feeling, nor certainly the acting upon any given thought or feeling - I’m not justifying those precisely because there are always consequences and a voice inside that judges those consequences - you always have a conscience. You will always judge how things turn out. But you don’t control any of it. That’s letting go. That is softness.
The root cause of all people's troubles is self-absorption, and the first thing to eliminate them is charity. Giving is the root cause of poverty change and the driving force to get out of difficulties. Faith is the source of the Tao and the mother of virtue, and fosters all good roots.
Comment section is more excitement for me to read than watch the video..every one here is a genius.. tq.. Saya bangga menjadi rakyat 🇲🇾malaysia🇲🇾 .. Orang malaysia cerdik2.. Sorry for my english😬
Thank you for the reminder. Bruce Lee said: "Be like water." I prefer the soft approach, there have been times when I have become hard, to protect myself = with body armor, it's extremely unpleasant. I am returning to the soft flow.
My favorite koan, the battle between the irresistible force and the immoveable object, seems represented in the declaration of softness as like water, the irresistible force, upon a mountain, the immoveable object. I always felt more like the object, holding fast, waiting for the force to wear out and tire. Feeling stronger for conservation of energy.
the best leaders are the ones somewhere between a lion and a lamb, if you are to firm you will be hated and revolution will come but if you are to kind you will veiwed as weak leading others to challange your power,a firm but gentle hand is the best method to employ.
Thank you for this. It's profound and encouraging for us calm, quiet types. I like the story from Lao-Tzu about the king and the philosopher. It links the personal and the political.
This is absolutely true. This is the reason why the softest and most feminine women have the greatest power over the strongest, powerful and masculine men.
In QiGong they say, "we move like water". Water can be as rigid as ice or as yielding as vapor. It is the perfect balance of yin flexibility and yang strength because it is both/neither. It knows when to be which, it is supple. This is the art of discernment and reaching a state of equanimity.
With the greatest leader above them, people barely know one exists. Next comes one whom they love and praise. Next comes one whom they fear. Next comes one whom they despise and defy. When a leader trusts no one, no one trusts him. The great leader speaks little. He never speaks carelessly. He works without self-interest and leaves no trace. When all is finished, the people say, “We did it ourselves.” Lao Tzu
As a generally soft person, this gave me so much comfort. I always thought there was something wrong with me because of it. Regardless of how strong I've tried to be, I could never really accomplish it. This made me realize that there was nothing wrong with me all along
me too, i have aways thought that being a strong , dominating person is only one to win the situations , i have been always trying to be rigid as much as possible but i always turned out to be weak and soft, this video gave me content of myself for who i really am....
🥰
Same
Ha, u soft
@@rationalised Yes. I think this is cause society paints that kinda picture often and there is so many who acts like that including maybe our parents. Its good that people realize these kinda things.😊 Okay i wrote this before watching the video and now realized he kinda tells this already :D.
Softness is what enables us to lean into our resilience and build our courage overtime. We have become so resistant towards any signs of weakness and vulnerabilities that we now automatically equate soft with weak. Not the same, thank you for the video
Attempting to hide weakness is ironically weakness
@@luminouswolf7117 Not always, it can be advantageous for survival. If driven by ego, that's when it can be problematic.
Like a flexible sword vs a brittle one. Tensile strength has its uses.
clearly you miss the point here. Thanks for your opinion.
@@youdontlikewords Did you accomplish what you wanted to? Did you accomplish anything?
Being like water/being gentle is so easy yet challenging at times. We often try to control & force things to happen in our lives. But when we let go life unfolds effortlessly and you save much more energy.
Yes I agree and it's hard reversing back to the "ways of water" lol (Avatar)
This comes from someone who's been floating like a piece of wood for decades and ended up being washed up on other people's shores, instead of following my own compass....i still have no idea where to go or what to do with my life, now i've frozen the water a bit, in order to get some stability BUT also people have walked all over me because of being watery, so i ended up a volcano fire & brimstones lol.
Now that the steam is off....im trying to go back to the "ways of water" 💙🧘♀️
I must say with my experience, everything always turned out well in my favour when i indeed did flow like water & let things come and go as it wanted, instead of controlling or forcing myself others or situations to be a certain way.
So yes as Bruce Lee says " Be water my friend"
I was reading WALDEN last night. He really was something.
A 27 year older - just graduated Harvard - stayed outside 2 years.
Well that's not true at all! there's a rhythm to it sometimes you need to put an effort
Don't forget that that's the taoist way.
One should not be afraid, of being afraid.
@@jonber9411 that’s very similar for something I’ve heard Alan Watts saying. In one of his lectures( you can find on youtube, Alan watts lectures eastern wisdow and modern life) he stated that one way of be kinda of liberated from suffering, is to actually suffer, without resistance, or any complaints/negative thoughts about it.
An example is about worrying, something we do very often. But what if you know worrying is bad, and you try to force yourself to stop worrying. In the end, what happens it’s similar to what einselganger said about in his videos of seeking happiness and reverse effort: try not to think about a elephant, you can’t, and the harder you try, the worse it gets, and you ended up in a vicius cycle. But, in the case of worry, of fear, whatever, if you allow yourself to do that, after a while it goes aways.
So, Alan Watts ends his video talking about a toy, that has his center of gravity in a way that you can’t push it down, it always gets back up, because it yelds and doesn’t resist, contraty to any other solid object.
Thus, he states that in order to be truly unshakable, you must not block(resist) and be yelding
I would use the more Taoist accurate terms of rigidity and flexibility instead of weak and strong. A flexible plant bends (adapts) to strong winds while a rigid plant breaks. Water flows around hard objects because it adapts itself while a hard object with run up against the rock. Taoists teach "softness" as adaptability and compliance rather than as weakness. Bamboo is one of the strongest plants for its size, but it bends and adapts to strong wind. Taoist "softness" is not a measure of strength, but adaption.
Thank you. I was scratching my head at the beginning.
I think its useful how he uses the term "weak" to convey softness/flexibility because in many ways that is how those qualities are conceived by our society.
@@lidsss1 But that's not how Taoism looks at it and he's trying to convey a Taoist lesson about Taoist principles. It's a disservice to bend Taoist ideas to make them more "Western friendly". The very reason Western society misunderstands flexibility and adaptation as weakness or softness is the exact problem.
@@swordmonkey6635 why don't we adapt his terms and go with the flow...
@@username2872 Because people who are unfamiliar with Taoism will take the labels literally and then become confused or jump to conclusions based the image being painted inaccurately.
It's easy for someone versed in Zhuangzi and Laozi's teachings to mentally replace the inaccurate word, but people new to Taoism don't have that going for them.
_“Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves._
_Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”_
― Bruce Lee
Wind can also shape the water naturally
This whole video is missing the crashing part of this quote. Just as the waves have got to crash upon the shore at some point you will be bound to use force.
Water is the embodiment of the Tao :)
But isn’t being assertive still important in life
To be gentle as a warm hearted feather
And as solid as concrete
As ferocious as a lion
Is an art within itself
People mistake love and kindness with weakness
For they don't have the wisdom to understand the immense strength it carries
And the heart of the lion
Is far more powerfull than its roar
The more I learn from many religions, philosophies, and just general wisdom throughout society as I travel.
The more I find that the greatest philosophical wisdom for life there is, is to be balanced. Everything comes back to this. Not too little or too much of any one thing. Like the Yin and Yang. You have a little of yin in the yang and vice versa, and you have both flowing into each other. Balance.
Bro. Bro. Bro. You just explained why I love the yin and the yang. Just brilliant!
Our whole universe, as do our minds, seeks a neutral, balanced state. By striving for balance we merely act as a continuation of the "will of nature", both spiritual and physical.
Balance is standing on the dividing line between yin and yang
If you put all the religious symbols side by side, the Taiji (yin&yang) is by very far the closest to the true nature of life. It's not antagonizing, it shows the duality of life and how it's a neverending dance. It tells a story everyone on the planet can understand at first glance without any context, all on its own in a single image.
It's the perfect symbol.
@@jjstarrprod I b suken dek. 👩🏻🦱
”Self-control is Strength, Right thought is Mastery, Calmness is Power” -James Allen
Who...said the buddha😅
I’ve always been told “You’re too soft” and “you need to be more aggressive” even though I’m gentle by nature so hearing this is reassuring. For a lot of people it’s much more difficult to be nice rather than mean in this world sometimes. I always find great admiration in those who remain kind and calm even in the toughest of situations
It's cuz ppl don't know what too soft or too aggressive is nobody can be too soft I think but too aggressive is not good for anyone
As an educator I often try to teach students that insecurity is often a sign of sensitivity, read caring for who might be hurt by consequences. And I think the world needs much more sensitive leaders, not 'strong man' with tunnel vision.
Well said. Thank you for opening that truth to your students.
👍👍👍👍
It depends on how insecurity expresses itself, or doesn't. Many insecure people devote to strength, rigidity, in order to fit in and make it in the system. The true softness taught in a Daoist context comes from cultivation of internal power and leads to a feeling of security.
Retreat from society and its clashing points is just another way of managing insecurity.
Sensitivity can lead to confusion and thus insecurity, though, when one seeks blame in oneself because gaslighting influences by other insecure people are accepted.
@@Dowlphin Great addition. For me, kindness, and awareness are helping to be soft, and the toughen up I see as a false dogma. But there are a few people who thrive on hard work and some who benefit from retreating. Those that retreat out of fear, avoidance should dig deeper.
Well-said. Thank you for bringing this more mindful and balanced perspective to your very important work. We need educators like you.
This reminds me of the story of the Willow and the Oak. People tend to admire and want to emulate the great Oak tree because it is big and strong and sturdy, but, when a big storm comes, the Oak can be completely toppled, pulling its roots from the ground. Whereas during the same storm the Willow tree being supple and pliant will bend, sometimes almost all the way to the ground, but when the storm is over it springs right back up into place, thus surviving.
Love it! 👏🏼 🌳
@@Startupsandsushi thank you! 💙
Most definitely!
"No one is more dangerously insane than one who is sane all the time: he is like a steel bridge without flexibility, and the order of his life is rigid and brittle." -Alan Watts
Big willows also fall down and oaks when young are supple. So thats more a feature of being large ...also depends on the roots and the crowdedness of the forest ... if very crowded trees grow fast and tall and not strong like the oak and though young and thin they are quite sucseptible to storms. And if its an evergreen pine they have very shallow roots ..so a lot of the willows and hazel here will fall because they are planted too close together. The big oak trees often lose a branch but have withstood many hundreds of years storms lightning etc and generally pretty damn strong. One of the reasons a willow will regrow when toppled is not because it is soft and yeilding but because it has growth hormone throughout the whole tree so any peice of it left can grow roots again from a branch etc.
@@Padraigp thanks for the dendrology lesson but it’s just a metaphor.
Such wise words. I realized I want to imitate the qualities of water.
"Nothing can compete with it"
What I liked about the water is it seeks the lowest position. That is humility.
Something I need to learn.
I need to learn how to be more gentle.
Listening & being humble.
As a Finn just innocently listening to a video of Taoist teachings, I questioned my sanity for a long second when you suddenly started talking of my small country. Kiitos for bringing us up 🙏🏻🇫🇮
It takes much emotional strength to be soft and warm hearted in these times.
Wonderful clip. A lot of these philosophies, I have always known intrinsically since I was a child. But along the way I got fooled into thinking we must be the strongest, toughest, and most dominating to survive and thrive in a materialistic world. This is a great reminder that the latter is an illusion that can lead us to break, instead of bend.
A strong man can win many fights, but a smart man never has to fight at all.
Your videos has inspired me for years man. The way you summarise huge philosophies into something short, enjoyable and very relevant for modern age is astounding!
@You dont like words yep
switched from reading books to only watching this channel and it's worth it
He is God sent...
Softness and soft power is the way to go.Become gently flowing water.Don’t project,force or try to dominate in life with you expectation of everything to go your way. Just let go and be gentle and let everything be. So much will come back to you! I am very physically strong as a person,but getting flexible now in my core as I practice various yoga asanas. I am accepting softness and embracing vulnerability now
I hardly comment on any youtube video but this one is life changing. As a human being , we are trying hard to get best out of the situation , fighting for everything so that we could get ahead of others. The entire education system right from our childhood force us into this unending loop of belief where comparison with others become a new normal. But this video changed my decade old belief that strength is not the only answer to navigate the complexities of life infact its just not sustainable in the long run , its softness ..being flexible and accommodating is the secret for a sustainable and content life. Thank you Einzelganger for teaching me the importance of being like water , "seek the lowest yet be the most important".
Totally agree! Sometimes, softness makes us win. Hardness destroys things.
That example of the tiger is so true. When I was painting the deck in my backyard last summer. A neighbor dog kept barking at me for 10 minutes. I said nothing and continued to paint. The dog eventually stopped barking and adapted to me lol
Being a soft hearted person was tough in the modern society until I started practicing Bhakti Yoga. Devotion channelizes my sensitivity so well. I feel proud and powerful with this sensitive heart ❤️
Goal of my life is to purify myself more and more 😇
_I tried to imagine the most powerful superhero for a story. It was a boring story since nothing happened. The hero was so powerful as to solve all problems before they formed._
Power and effort are inversely related. The most powerful exert the least effort.
Fear belongs to those who must exert the most effort: They do not believe they possess the ability to exert sufficient effort in times of crisis.
-Some recent shower thoughts I've had.
Good video - thanks!
Check out Vinland Saga. Thank me later.
This is present in the anime, One Punch Man.
That thought I had too. Hence we are also bombarded with dystopian and post apocalyptic futures, for they are full of drama and fights over limited resources. So what we need is a drama series in a great future, with human flaws. ;)
Lovely! :)
I disagree. In most cases, *power is the result of effort*.
Michael Jordan trained harder than anyone he ever ran into. He isn't the goat because he was born more gifted than any man on earth(he wasn't). He is the goat because he took his natural ability and combined it with insane effort and determination, which in turn made him the most powerful.
Millionaires and high achievers work insane hours to achieve and maintain their status, not less. The best artisans dedicate their life to their craft, they are not born sculpting Pietas with minimal effort.
If you stick to fantasy, like in your superhero statement, sure, you could make a man into a god(like Superman), and thus he can do everything by default and it's an uninteresting story. That has nothing to do with reality.
Don't mistake kindness for weakness. Everyone has a fight inside them.
This is one of your best videos I would say. I have been criticized for being soft when asking questions or being silent but you proved those wrong who criticized me by explaining that scenario in this video. Also now I am able to relate how to 'fit in' by being more adaptable like water as said by you while explaining the 'survival of the fittest' part. Thanks for this masterpiece.
Amazing. I was reflecting about this earlier today. The hard and the soft are as the Tao, they complement each other, you can' t choose one over the other. It is a delicate balance, to live well, one has to know when to be hard and when to be soft. Thank you once more. Einzelganger.
Yes, it’s called common sense which most people lack. At times i think that even if you have a P.h.D., but lack common sense you’re doing a disservice to our planet.
Hi Can you give an example of having to be hard please? Thanks a lot
@@SkyScannerBtown Sometimes you have to stand up for yourself, for example you shouldn't put up with disrespectful and nasty people but rather cut ties with them.
Thanks. I usually just let them throw there best punches as nothing ever lands. Then will try to avoid seeing them
Softness but with dominance. My softness makes people walk all over me because I tried to live an ideal world of "there's no hierarchy, we're all equal" so I feel bad to put myself above anyone even if I may be a manager, or teacher, and voila! My softness killed me that the only way to draw boundary is by being harsh, hard and project anger.
Softness is accepting is that some people are just bad or just unhealthy to be around and no amount of domination can change that. Being soft is to save your energy instead of constantly getting into fights.
That anger could be better used pushing away your shyness and trying to establish new, healthy relationships.
the content is very well explained, translated, and delivered. Keep up the good work!
You have an uncanny knack of creating and publishing something that I need to hear at that moment I need it. Many 🙏
I'm not religious but the same is stated in the Bible; "The race is not won to the strong and the swift but to those who endure". As in resilience.
Beautiful✨🦋 just what I needed to hear in creating a better bond with an elderly who’s been very hostile, bitter, and angry…I’ll come from a place of love, compassion, understanding and lots & lottts of patience😊 which will in return help me to grow and learn🙏🏼
I appreciate this content so much 🙌🙌 Thank you!!
Watching your video indeed reminded me of an old story I once encountered about an oak tree engaging with a swamp reed in a debate. The oak mocks the reed for being small and feeble while boasting that itself, is strong and firmly rooted to the ground, even in times of storm.
Indeed, a storm does come and the oak stands, as expected, and the reed is swayed. The storm grows stronger and stronger. Eventually, though, the oak loses its ground and falls to the ground, roots and all, whereas the reed, though feeble, retained its stance and unscathed.
Watching this video did help me establish the connection between these two outlooks, but I also understood that true power doesn't originate from the widely accepted definition of strength, but from the fact that having true strength arises from a manifestation of your identity and a belief on yourself.
This was likely the inspiration for Tarkovsky who wrote this for his film “Stalker”:
“Let them be helpless like children, because weakness is a great thing, and strength is nothing. When a man is just born, he is weak and flexible. When he dies, he is hard and insensitive. When a tree is growing, it's tender and pliant. But when it's dry and hard, it dies. Hardness and strength are death's companions. Pliancy and weakness are expressions of the freshness of being. Because what has hardened will never win.”
this was amazing! changed my perspective rather, I've always looked at this characteristic in me as a weakness , something that needed to be overcome but learnt it must be embraced.
Bruce Lee, one of the greatest martial artists of our recent history, taught us to "be water". All true strength is founded on softness.
Gojyu-ryu, one of the main schools of karate, literally means "firm-soft style".
Be like water, and you will be able to be strong in times of need.
I love all your videos, but the Taoist philosophy ones are my favorite. Thank you!
This is excellent information have used both approaches ruined my first career being using what I thought was my strength came to this realization that if I’m lowest and help full with out imposing my knowledge or will just let go and help I never made more positive work relationships that people would do anything to help. Stay humble which Is not always easy. Just be a helper for good. Good for goodness sake’s is my motto. Love life.
It’s become easier to be quiet when I have knowledge but to ask questions to get more knowledge is something I’ll have to do in the future :) thanks for this !
In my opinion, this has been the best video I've seen in your channel, loved it, thank you
Wow, this is the best explanation of this concept that I've ever heard. Thank you!
This is still my favorite youtube channel EVER since I've discovered it!
Be malleable but unbreakable. Be able to bend but not snap.
Rigidity and softness are best together in moderation.
Very nice. It is true that whatever puts out lots of force can have it deflected upon itself and it is also true that something that can adapt without force really can overcome anything
This is the most significant video you have ever made, as a man of peace, who has been mistreated and ridiculed, I stayed the way I am and thus am loved by many. Moreover, I studied social sciences with emphasize on deviant behaviour and social control and everything you said about prisons was correct to the last letter. Thank you, Bei
Soft and calm yet able to dominate and conquer what i desire, but keeping that impulse in check is what strive to become
this is such a great video. as a person who is not strong enough in some ways, this gave me hope that being soft doesn't equate being weak. i find being soft calming, and easy to understand people.
This is one of my Einselganger favorites!😊
Powerfull insight in a timely manner, is sudden wisdom and what the world needs now! “The rigid will break, the soft and yielding will overcome.” Yoda could not do better.
Indeed, soft, gentle Water is the most potent element in the Universe that not only wears-away rock, crumbles mountains, douses fire, churns wind, and permeates all living things, but water is a rare compound that also transmutes states of matter (solid crystal to liquid, liquid to vapor to solid crystal, and repeat) in cyclic manner and has done so for countless eons. Water not only sustains Life but is Life itself. As Bruce Lee once said, “Be water my friend”.
Monkey Mind is the default mind-program of our species that operates in the background of every person on the planet and is our own worst enemy, if not only to our Gaia planet, a home and refuge to us all.
Laws, religions, and business models were all created in the context of Monkey Mind. Indeed, Business Mind is Monkey Mind on full display.
If there was a singular cause for ALL the problems in this world, undoubtedly it is Monkey Mind. It is the default program of our species (dogs just know how to be dogs, elephants just know how to be elephants, etc) and this program operates in the background of every person … from peasants to presidents, from popes to professors, from doctors to prisoners, and so on for eons past.
The 3 Elements of Monkey Mind were elucidated by ancient Hindu and Buddhist philosophers with texts dating back 5000 years. Many monkey habitats have thrived throughout Asia and make easy subjects to observe and investigate. In contrast, the 3 Abrahamic religions were conceived in regions barren of simian/monkeys/apes and for the few that existed there in those times were displayed as exotic curiosities and kept as imprisoned pets. Therefore, to the detriment of succeeding civilizations, Abrahamic religions missed out on key understandings of, “who are we” and thus synthesized mythologies based on magical thinking and story telling to enslave the minds of many. But Truth, just like the sun and the moon, cannot remain hidden!
The 3 Elements of Monkey Mind are common to many other animals on this Planet of the Apes, however, through specific practices it is possible to breakthrough our default program and attain enlightenment (many in throughout history have). Past civilizations attempted to elevate society above our feces-flinging ancestors, but had limited success. And so, the 3 Elements are:
1) Limitless Greed - nothing is enough for us, especially if it is pleasurable to the senses or rewarding to ego. The popular idea that ‘greed is good’ has many fans. Ex: Got a pay raise? Not enough, want more! Enjoyed sexy time? Not enough, want more! Feeling powerful with a gun? Not enough, need more power! Etcetera ad nauseam.
2) Tireless Fear - Nothing in life is certain, except uncertainty. Uncertainty is certain and indeed, is a Law of Physics. One can plan, scheme, organize, rehearse, but tomorrow is still uncertain. Fear is the result of uncertainty and inability to control variables beyond one’s reach. Fear is crippling and keeps people from living life fully and maintaining happiness. Governments and businesses (insurance industry in particularly) understand and exploit peoples’ fears to enslave and dominate their patrons.
3) Impassive Dominance - monkeys seek the highest position in the trees, especially when under threat, to get ‘above it all’. People ambitiously seek the supreme by reaching and grasping for higher social status (fame), higher career positions, higher educational degrees, higher athletic achievements, higher domicile dwellings (skyscrapers), higher highs, etcetera ad nauseam, all believing it will reduce their suffering but often has the opposite effect!
These 3 Elements (Limitless Greed, Tireless Fear, and Impassive Dominance) have not been sufficiently managed by the ancients(if no-one’s teaching it then no-one knows it) and so today’s civilization continues to bring suffering to itself and the planet and all life living on it. In fact, the only thing man-kind has mastered is imprisonment! Man can cage, bottle, ensnare, entrap, enslave, mostly anything his Monkey Mind desires with few exceptions.
However, through practicing the 3 Virtues of Human Mind, we could transform suffering into happiness. The 3 Virtues of Human Mind are:
1) Limitless Generosity - you will always have more than another in need and kindness does not cost anything. Practicing limitless generosity alone can generate an abundance of positive merit (good Karma) to turn the Wheel of Becoming. It is a powerful practice that does not have involve money, but just being helpful to others - the definition of Human Being is sufficient. To the giver, comes the fullness of life. To the greedy, just an empty hand.
2) Tireless Trust - trust is the foundation of human civilization (past-present-future(?)). Trust forms the basis for all relationships. It builds confidence and instills security. Trust implies an understanding that we are all same, with same circumstances and our survival depends on our trust. “Trust yourself, Trust Others, Trust God” is a wonderful book for everyone with trust issues or without! Most importantly Trust dispels Fear and opens a world of possibilities! Do not fear your enemy, for he is your greatest teacher!
3) Passive Abiding - dominance is rigid and unyielding, therefore subject to fracturing and breaking. Abiding is soft and conforming, like water. Our bodies are 70-80% water, for it is the most powerful element in the universe, yet it is soft and abiding. Water conforms to its’ surroundings, seeks its’ own level, extinguishes fires, wears away rock, moves the wind, permeates all life, and transmutes states of matter (from solid, to liquid, to vapor) in cyclic forms. Water gives life! If it isn’t Life itself! Just get with the flow and as Bruce Lee famously said, “Be Water, my friend”!
Practicing these 3 Virtues causes a breakthrough in Monkey Mind and can transform this planet’s tragic history. But it can not be forced or indoctrinated because truth speaks for itself. As Michael Jackson once sang in “Man in the Mirror”, “… that’s why I’m starting with me!” It is more than a catchy tune, but profoundly insightful and effective! (Though, it is about Dharma and not mutilation of genitalia)!
The essence of our being is after all pure energy, that according to I. Newton, is neither created nor destroyed, only transferred or transformed. We are all compounded aggregates genetically composed of 25% mommy, 25% daddy, and 50% Creator/God/DivineLight/Allah/Ra/Jeweh/GalacticCenter/etc. The DarkSide obfuscated this ancient knowledge long ago when we were still a feces-flinging race and had constructed a system of slavery that has been operating for many eons (2500 years) upto today. To Team Dark, true Liberation is a threat to the business model of systemic exploitation, i.e. slavery, today known as Capitalism. Keeping the masses drunk on greed, consumerism, and kept ignorant to the Universal within has yielded Team Dark large profits with little effort. Truth is Liberating and cannot remain hidden. Karma is the Great Equalizer that brings balance to all things, from macro to micro, throughout all solar systems and galaxies in the cosmos. Simply put, Karma (Natural Law) rewards wise action and punishes ignorant ones. Anger, hatred, and greed are the three poisons that Monkey Mind thrives upon and thus generates self-inflicted suffering. But it doesn’t have to be that way and transforming Monkey Mind to Human Being Mind yields epic spiritual experiences.
There is no alternative to our Gaia Earth and we must all learn to coexist in unity. The longer we live, the more we learn. And Gaia has much to teach. H. Sapiens divorced themselves from Nature long ago and missed teaching opportunities so necessary to honor the gift of Life! Like all rivers empty into the oceans, we too return to what we create for our future selves. We should live The Way of Water!
✌🏼🌞🙏🏼 🐝
Great video. Made me think of Jon Gomm's line "weakness is not your weakness"
Your videos are really helpful and comforting. I had become rigid as a result of my speculations of the world's deceit. I thought that since the world functions on the prinicples of 'an eye for an eye', I should respond the same way. But after watching your videos on Taoism and Stoicism, I stand corrected. Thank you!
I'm not sure I agree if softness is weakness.
Being soft, tolerant, and persistent requires strength.
Weakness would be crying over things not going your way, getting angry, throwing tantrums etc.
Throwing tantrums like Erdogan : D
In my opinion weakness and softness are two different things.
Fear and Excitement, the same. Love and Hate, truly the same. Weakness in its own perspective is in fact strength, and softness is just the inverse of hardness, not really made of anything different, just different form
I agree. Strength or power is the capacity one has to do something; the control, mastery of it. Through hardness, this is standing firm and remaining chin up when appropriate, a degree of rigidity, hardlining. Through softness, this is control and mastery by being adaptable, flexible and more thoughtful. This isn’t flabbiness, it’s water. Both softness and hardness comprise strength. Both require active engagement and being, softness is active because it is a purposeful means of being (through ironically, it’s accomplished by ‘not trying’; but this itself is active). Softness and hardness are used when it is needed. Complete clarity is here.
Weakness, on the other hand, denotes little to no capacity one has to BE in any purposeful way; no control, no mastery, no focused intent. Weakness is surrendering your choices to the whims of others and calling it fate. It is entirely passive, flabby, and involves remaining in delusion and being deluded; no clarity.
I think you dont understand what the video mean
i really needed to hear this right now in my life, thanks for uploading so often!
Compassion is true strength
Wait, so I'm basically living like a Finnish prisoner? 😂
Jokes aside, I really love your content. I'd love to see you do a video on Lagom, the Swedish principle of 'just enough'.
Danke!
Thank you, Clemens!
I can’t stop thinking that the concept of power through softness in Daoism is related to the great stoics. Being flexible implies faith that you can attain a positive outcome, regardless of the path taken.
Man! I freaking LOVE your videos. I watch all of them over and over learning and absorbing your lessons about philosophy. And I am adding these lessons to my life. Thank you! 9:30
Ain't that the truth! This makes me feel stronger about who I am, and not ashamed to be soft.
I absolutely love your videos, they have helped me more than words could possibly express. Thank you so much. ❤️
I loved your content and I watched all your videos,your videos all truly perished my all of my pain and cherished my heart
Thanks for this amazing video. This was an enlightened experience 😃🙏.
Great lesson. Very well laid out. This will inspire many.
This is one of the most challenging topics in Taoism. I feel like it's easy to misunderstand it.
To put it in the simple statements, I believe Taoism simply making this points:
You don't have to get more resources to have more of them, you can just spend them more economically. Both positions have pros and cones. I can't agree with the notions it's always best to spend less than to get more, albeit the former is in general more sustainable. You can imagine to men, big one and small one, in the island with limited food. Small will require less food, but the big one can the small one food. So it's obvious in this simple situation it's better to be the strong one. You don't always have space to run. You don't always have room for negotiations, pleas or coexistence.
But it is, undoubtedly, a good thing to have less needs and to avoid any restriction to your movement. The Taoism offers us a good insight on how you can become more powerful by seemingly becoming weaker and smaller. You don't have to always grow.
And, well, all the talk about moving with the flow and being soft and flexible, it's just a fancy way of telling that prioritisation, ability to spend your energy in smarter, less "expensive" in terms of resources ways are useful tools in achieving your goals, if you can get results in this way.
And, finally, it's important to pick your goals wisely. Because you won't last long if you try to die on every hill you come across. A guy who constantly fights will sooner or later be finished with crippling injuries
This is just what I needed to hear this morning, thanks!
It’s almost as though something lead me here. How wonderful.
The Tao. Read the Tao te Ching.
You need both and both can be used together everyday. This is balance as well.
Always a pleasure to hear such wise words. 🙏🏻
Vulnerability is power as it helps you connect with the hidden parts of yourself and accept yourself more freely! It is to be embraced and not run away from!
I think its important to have strength but treat the world softly. Be able to protect those who need it, and be able get a tough job done, have the capacity for strength but the wisdom to know when its not needed, which is most of the time.
Someone weak not using aggression doesn't mean they wouldn't use aggression if they had strength. The number of people that would steal if the police disappeared would surprise us all.
Excellent reasoning and sharing of wisdom once again.... I almost feel like I sigh with relief with every new video of yours I watch, as a few pounds of life's pressures lift from my shoulders. Thank you.
I learned subconsciously in my childhood by listening to family and others to be strong. Strongness turned into controlling behaviors not knowing that's what you are doing. And Marraige fell apart. Truly softness, slow living sorts of things are powerful than being aggressive and hustle culture/concept.
Thanks, I am happy to be how i am. Gentle, kind, open hearted, helping nature.
It runs on our family blood.
I won't change for anything cruel at all.
You know it can be good to sit back and allow others their space. But it you're already very naturally flowy, it can be extremely dim witted to not share your knowledge and what you know. It's a good thing to share your piece when you feel called to it rather than holding back all these gems of info. Pointed questions are great to help the other person believe they have thought of it themselves, however if they genuinely don't have good information, you've got to feed it to them. Positive Feedback loop
Awesome video!! 🤗👍🏽 It's so great to realize that my so called 'weakness' is actually flexibility and ability to adapt!! 🤩🎉🎊👏🏽💛💙❤️
You don’t control your thoughts, nor how you feel about things, nor which sensations you feel in your body. That’s the only thing to look at - because once you see that, you see you’ve lived your entire life with a belief in control - that you are chooser and the decider. And that belief, natural as it is, is simply incorrect.
The ‘softness’ of the Tao isn’t necessarily softness in real life, though it can be. It’s softness, in one’s mind, seeing the inevitability of the now - of what you are thinking and feeling right now - that you can't change those things, nor can you choose those things. 'Softness' is simply submitting to thinking and feeling what one thinks and feels, because you see the truth: there’s no other way it could be. How would you even choose a thought? By how it, or its implications make you feel, right? Except you don’t choose how those things make you feel, nor which thoughts you think. It all starts and ends there.
This isn’t justifying any given thought or feeling, nor certainly the acting upon any given thought or feeling - I’m not justifying those precisely because there are always consequences and a voice inside that judges those consequences - you always have a conscience. You will always judge how things turn out. But you don’t control any of it. That’s letting go. That is softness.
The root cause of all people's troubles is self-absorption, and the first thing to eliminate them is charity.
Giving is the root cause of poverty change and the driving force to get out of difficulties.
Faith is the source of the Tao and the mother of virtue, and fosters all good roots.
Comment section is more excitement for me to read than watch the video..every one here is a genius.. tq..
Saya bangga menjadi rakyat
🇲🇾malaysia🇲🇾 ..
Orang malaysia cerdik2..
Sorry for my english😬
Thank you for the reminder. Bruce Lee said: "Be like water." I prefer the soft approach, there have been times when I have become hard, to protect myself = with body armor, it's extremely unpleasant. I am returning to the soft flow.
Thanks!
Thank you, Amine!
Perfect timing for this message. Thank you.
Thank you for the video and thank you for your last book. It's wonderful.
My favorite koan, the battle between the irresistible force and the immoveable object, seems represented in the declaration of softness as like water, the irresistible force, upon a mountain, the immoveable object. I always felt more like the object, holding fast, waiting for the force to wear out and tire. Feeling stronger for conservation of energy.
That was refreshing and well presented 🙏🏼
One of the best vídeos ever made. Thanks a lot
This is what the world really needs. :)Thanks Einzelgänger for another great video!
Thank you for posting... I like youre videos, a great service to the world. Have a good day and stay warm.
Thank you so much for the knowledge you share about philosophy, watching your videos always brings me peace !
Love your posts. This one spoke to me: big theme in the current times. Dankjewel🙏🏻
the best leaders are the ones somewhere between a lion and a lamb, if you are to firm you will be hated and revolution will come but if you are to kind you will veiwed as weak leading others to challange your power,a firm but gentle hand is the best method to employ.
Wow, well written. Congratulations brother, you really do a great job of making these ideas actionable.
Thank you for this. It's profound and encouraging for us calm, quiet types. I like the story from Lao-Tzu about the king and the philosopher. It links the personal and the political.
Thank you for all your good works. These help me to reduce my stress. May God bless you with miracles!❤🌷
Absolutely excellent content. I love your channel.
This is absolutely true. This is the reason why the softest and most feminine women have the greatest power over the strongest, powerful and masculine men.
Get help bruh.
@@BlackJesus8463 there's nothing that unreasonable about what was said
@@Liam-ke2hv Maybe if you're an animal who doesn't know better.
"Change is life and life is change" - I like that :)
It just changed my life, thank you
In QiGong they say, "we move like water". Water can be as rigid as ice or as yielding as vapor. It is the perfect balance of yin flexibility and yang strength because it is both/neither. It knows when to be which, it is supple. This is the art of discernment and reaching a state of equanimity.
With the greatest leader above them, people barely know one exists.
Next comes one whom they love and praise.
Next comes one whom they fear.
Next comes one whom they despise and defy.
When a leader trusts no one, no one trusts him.
The great leader speaks little.
He never speaks carelessly.
He works without self-interest and leaves no trace.
When all is finished, the people say, “We did it ourselves.”
Lao Tzu
This is one of your best videos yet