Line by Line - Verse 76, Line 8

and a tree which is strong will fill the out-stretched arms, (and thereby invites the feller.)
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

A tree that is unbending is easily broken.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

A strong tree will be cut down
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

A tree that cannot bend with the wind
will snap.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

Have you ever noticed how intoxicated people often are able to walk away virtually unscathed from horrific traffic accidents (often collisions that THEY caused)? In their inebriated state, they behave like a tree in a stiff wind. Instead of bracing for impact (rigidity), their bodies go limp (flexibility) which allows them to diffuse or mitigate the violent forces applied.

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