Line by Line - Verse 33, Line 3

He who overcomes others is strong;
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

Mastering others requires force;
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Those who overcome others have strength
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

To rule others, you must be powerful,
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

Too often, if you want others to honor your will (i.e., ego-based desire), you must find a way to make them submit against their own will. This can be accomplished in a number of ways: by brute force, by rule of law, economically, religiously, and/or psychologically. However you wish to term it, it usually requires some method of force.

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