Tao Te Ching (29-43)

Since small, we (or at least I) were educated with the opposites. Given little puzzles, where our job was to build the correct pair of opposites—that is, matching black and white, and sun and rain. Never did I think opposites, in my life, would gain such importance—again.

Seems that, based on the Tao Te Ching, opposites are important to consider, since opposites can’t live without each other. I was able to bring several citations from the text, that show how is it that opposites are truly connected, and how, in each case, one of them might be better, in a way, than the other.

Being is born of not being. (40)

It matches the idea that things will only go right, and will happen, when nothing is done.
This quote can be said to say that bad is born of good, good being the NOT BEING, as bad being the being. These two (and the one just below), are examples of opposites connecting, and being a result of each other.

The ten thousand things carry yin and embrace yang.
They achieve harmony by combining these forces.
(42)

When the opposites are balanced, they will achieve peace, and, how things are to be, a mixture between good and bad moments and feelings. The ten thousand things, that is, everything, is a result of this balance, meaning that the ten thousand things achieve harmony, every now and then.

I was able to conclude, based on everything that the Tao Te Ching mentions, that, no matter which pairs or opposites, the ‘smaller’ one, is of greater importance. Not literally the smaller in size. Rather, the one that involves the least amount of DOING (wu-wei, and wu), the most vulnerable, too. Because every now and then it is mentioned within the text how power won’t lead you anywhere.

The softest thing in the universes overcomes the hardest thing in the universe. (43)

The vulnerable is, kind of the most powerful, after all, as it is the last thing that happens, the final result.

Based on the quote above, why be powerful when, at the end, you will be the least powerful? Rather, trying to be weakest since the beginning, you shall be somehow bigger than the most powerful.

I have realized how is it that opposites truly connect with each other, still, when they are so different.