The ancient philosophy of Daoism 道家思想 revolves around the idea of finding harmony with the world around us. One of the key founders, Laozi 老子, believed that the best way to achieve this was to learn from nature. In particular, he felt that we could learn a lot from water.
“Water is soft and weak, yet for attacking hard and strong, nothing can surpass it. 水柔而弱，攻堅而剛，莫能勝也。” — Laozi 老子
On the surface, water seems weak. It can be easily contained and doesn’t appear to have much strength. But as anyone who has been caught in a flood knows, water can be incredibly powerful. It is capable of breaking through even the strongest of barriers.
Laozi saw water as a metaphor for how we should live our lives. We should be soft and malleable so that we can adapt to the ever-changing world around us. But at the same time, we should be relentless in the pursuit of our goals. We should never give up or give in.
Another important lesson that Laozi took from the water was the importance of staying in motion. Just like water always flows downhill, we should always be moving forward in life. Stagnation is just as deadly for us as it is for a pool of water. By constantly moving and progressing, we can avoid many of the pitfalls that life throws our way.
Finally, Laozi believed that we should live simple lives, close to nature. We should appreciate the small things in life and not become too caught up in material possessions. This doesn’t mean we should all move to caves and live off the land (although some interpret it that way).
Instead, it means that we should focus on what’s truly meaningful in life and not get distracted by superfluous things.
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