Soulful Sundays: Taming

“Nothing under heaven is softer or more yielding than water, yet in overcoming the hard and strong, nothing can surpass it.”

— Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 78

We so often conflate power with grandiosity. We assume that the largest fighter in the ring will have the greatest advantage, that the biggest army will win the war, and that a Category 5 hurricane will inflict the most damage. Yet we overlook the subtler, less perceptible influences that govern reality. Microscopic viruses and organisms are responsible for countless deaths. Small children require an extraordinary amount of attention from their caregivers. The weakest fundamental force in physics, gravity, gives structure to the entire universe. Through developing an appreciation for the hidden nature of relationships, we may harness the ability to tame even the hardest obstacles.

In the biblical account of the Israelites’ wanderings through the desert, there is a telling episode involving Moses’ use of power. Near the end of their journey, the Israelites go to their leader and complain bitterly about their lack of water. Moses entreats God for guidance, and God explicitly enjoins him to speak to the rock so that water will flow forth. Instead, Moses strikes the rock twice with his staff in a fit of frustration with his ungrateful followers. The water still flows, but God forbids Moses from entering the Promised Land because he has failed to trust and honor Him. Moses chose power over persuasion. The significance of this distinction cannot be overstated. It underlines the consequences of taking matters into one’s own hands when a clearly superior pathway forward exists.

The lesson of Moses is echoed throughout human history and natural systems. The use of power without consent may produce compliance, but it rarely cultivates the trust and cooperation necessary for enduring relationships. Authority, no matter how convincing it may be, is often second best to invitation. We see this in the study of economic incentive structures. We see it in the social hierarchies of pack animals. We saw the destructive consequences of coercive authority in the monumental catastrophe of Soviet Russia. There is a time and place for the use of power, but it should be exercised sparingly and decisively. Repeated use can dilute its effectiveness. Furthermore, once our advantage has been pressed, we must remember to return immediately to a place of softness and receptivity. A lion can still kill its master, no matter how tame it becomes.