Find author, origin, audience and, context of quote – The bow teaches that strength without flexibility leads to breakage.
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Meaning
This quote means that pure, rigid power is brittle and will eventually fail. True, lasting strength is always paired with the ability to bend and adapt.
Explanation
The most successful people, the ones who last, they aren’t the rigid or the unbending. They snap. They burn out. They get overthrown. The real power comes from being like that bow, incredibly strong, with a clear goal, but with enough flexibility in your approach, in your thinking, to absorb pressure and release it with precision. It’s the difference between a solid oak staff that shatters and a bamboo reed that bends and springs right back. It’s about resilience, not just resistance.
Summary
| Category | Life (30) |
|---|---|
| Topics | balance (12), flexibility (1), strength (6) |
| Style | metaphorical (7) |
| Mood | calm (37) |
Origin & Factcheck
| Author | Paulo Coelho (23) |
|---|---|
| Book | The Archer (5) |
About the Author
Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian novelist known for weaving spirituality and philosophy into stories that feel both magical and real. 165 million copies sold with readers in 80+ languages
Official Website |Facebook | Instagram | YouTube |
Quotation Source:
| The bow teaches that strength without flexibility leads to breakage |
| Publication Year: 2017 (Brazil); ISBN: 978-0-525-65803-1; Latest Edition: Alfred A. Knopf 2020; 160 pages. |
| Approximate page 56, Chapter: The Balance of Strength |
Context
In the book, this is the main philosophy of archery that the master, Tetsuya, is imparting. He’s teaching that the technical skill of pulling the bowstring (the strength) is useless without the inner state of the archer, the grace, the acceptance, the flow (the flexibility). The action and the spirit have to work together.
Usage Examples
For instance, with a startup founder who’s so rigid about their initial business plan that they’re about to break under market pressures. I tell them, Your vision is your strength, but your ability to pivot is your flexibility.
With a manager who leads with an iron fist, wondering why their team’s morale is in the gutter. The quote is a perfect reminder that leadership strength requires emotional flexibility. Honestly, it’s for anyone in a position of pressure, which includes all of us.
To whom it appeals?
| Audience | leaders (184), seekers (41), students (286), teachers (117) |
|---|---|
This quote can be used in following contexts: life coaching,motivational talks,spiritual writing,leadership lessons
FAQ
Question: Does this mean we should be weak and just go with the flow?
Answer: Not at all. The bow is still strong. The point is that its strength is useless without the flexibility. It’s about combining the two, not neglecting the strength.
Question: How can I apply this to my daily work life?
Answer: Start with your goals. Be firm on the end goal (the target), but be flexible about the path to get there. If a project isn’t working, don’t just push harder with the same broken method. Change and adapt to new tactics.
Question: Is this similar to the concept of water being soft yet powerful?
Answer: Exactly. It’s the same principle. Water is fluid and flexible, yet it can wear down stone. It’s a different metaphor for the same timeless truth about resilient strength.
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