Tao Te Ching
Tao Te Ching, Chapter 43
Chapter 43 of Tao Te Ching translated by James Legge (1893)
Translation
43. 1. The softest thing in the world dashes against and overcomes the hardest; that which has no (substantial) existence enters where there is no crevice. I know hereby what advantage belongs to doing nothing (with a purpose).
2. There are few in the world who attain to the teaching without words, and the advantage arising from non-action.
Practical Reading
The soft overcomes the hard; the weak overcomes the strong. In competition, direct confrontation with superior forces fails. Indirect approaches and patience often succeed where strength fails.