Water is fluid, soft, and yielding. But water will wear away rock, which is rigid and cannot yield. As a rule, whatever is fluid, soft, and yielding will overcome whatever is rigid and hard. This is another paradox: what is soft is strong.

Lightly given promises must meet with little trust.

He who obtains has little. He who scatters has much.

For knowledge, add something every day. For wisdom....subtract.

He who has no faith in others shall find no faith in them.

The reason for great distress is the body. Without it, what distress could there be?

Things exalted then decay. This is going against the Way. What goes against the Way meets an early end.