--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The hand that stretches the bow must open…" description: "\"“The hand that stretches the bow must open like a child's hand opens. What sometimes hinders the precision of the shot is the archer's over-active will..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32e/eugen-herrigel-22516_children_the-hand-that-stretches-the-bow-must-ope_1414188.jpg" --- # The hand that stretches the bow must open like a child's… ![“The hand that stretches the bow must open like a child's hand opens. What sometimes hinders the precision of the shot is the archer's over-active will. He thinks: "What I fail to do will not be done", and that's not quite how things work. Man should always act, but he must also let other forces of…” quote by Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32e/eugen-herrigel-22516_children_the-hand-that-stretches-the-bow-must-ope_1414188.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32e/eugen-herrigel-22516_children_the-hand-that-stretches-the-bow-must-ope_1414188.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32e/eugen-herrigel-22516_children_the-hand-that-stretches-the-bow-must-ope_1414188.jpg) > ““The hand that stretches the bow must open like a child's hand opens. What sometimes hinders the precision of the shot is the archer's over-active will. He thinks: "What I fail to do will not be done", and that's not quite how things work. Man should always act, but he must also let other forces of the universe act in their own due time.”” [Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The archer must balance personal effort with natural timing; over‑will disrupts precision, while surrendering to the moment enhances skill. **In simple terms:** Balance effort with natural flow for better results. Key Takeaway Act, but also trust timing. Themes discipline patience mindfulness skill balance Mood calm reflective focused Type philosophical inspirational practical When to use this quote - archery practice - sports training - creative work - decision making - leadership Key Concepts Zen flow willpower timing Questions to Reflect On - How can you recognize when to let go? - When does effort become hindrance? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on control can cause anxiety and paralysis. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Archer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/archer/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Life lessons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-lessons/) ## Related quotes > [“The arrow shot by the archer may or may not kill a single person. But stratagems devised by a wise man can kill even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/the-arrow-shot-by-the-archer-may-or-may-not-kill-a-single-person-but/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [You can learn from an ordinary bamboo leaf what ought to happen. It bends lower and lower under the weight of snow. 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The shot will only go smoothly when it takes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/don-t-think-of-what-you-have-to-do-don-t-consider-how-to-carry-it-out-2/) [Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/) > [“The “present” comes with a big bow on it: it is up to you to open & enjoy it!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-budzinski/the-present-comes-with-a-big-bow-on-it-it-is-up-to-you-to-open-enjoy/) [Karen Budzinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-budzinski/) > [“The arrow shot by the archer may or may not kill a single person. But stratagems devised by wise men can kill even babes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kautilya/the-arrow-shot-by-the-archer-may-or-may-not-kill-a-single-person-but-2/) Kautilya > [“An Archer must never lose focus. If the world bends Archer. It is in within in contemplation we soar the sky ~”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricio-telman-chincocolo/an-archer-must-never-lose-focus-if-the-world-bends-archer-it-is-in/) [Patricio telman chincocolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricio-telman-chincocolo/) > [Let your bending in the Archer's hand be for gladness, for even as he loves the arrow that flies, so he loves also the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/let-your-bending-in-the-archer-s-hand-be-for-gladness-for-even-as-he/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [Who is it needs such flawless shafts as fate? What archer of his arrows is so choice, or hits the white so surely?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/who-is-it-needs-such-flawless-shafts-as-fate-what-archer-of-his/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [You never can tell when you send a word, Like an arrow shot from a bow By an archer blind, be it cruel or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-wheeler-wilcox/you-never-can-tell-when-you-send-a-word-like-an-arrow-shot-from-a-bow/) [Ella Wheeler Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-wheeler-wilcox/) > [When an archer desires to shoot his arrows successfully, he first takes great pains over his posture and aligns himself accurately with his mark.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-john-chrysostom/when-an-archer-desires-to-shoot-his-arrows-successfully-he-first/) [Saint John Chrysostom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-john-chrysostom/) > [Famous archer, Howard Hill won all of the 267 archery contests he entered. 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And it can remain present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/this-means-that-the-mind-or-spirit-is-present-anywhere-because-it-is/) [Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/) > [You can learn from an ordinary bamboo leaf what ought to happen. It bends lower and lower under the weight of snow. Suddenly the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/you-can-learn-from-an-ordinary-bamboo-leaf-what-ought-to-happen-it/) [Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/) > [The more a human being feels himself a self, tries to intensify this self and reach a never-attainable perfection, the more drastically he steps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/the-more-a-human-being-feels-himself-a-self-tries-to-intensify-this/) [Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/) > [“Don't think of what you have to do, don't consider how to carry it out!" he exclaimed. "The shot will only go smoothly when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/don-t-think-of-what-you-have-to-do-don-t-consider-how-to-carry-it-out/) [Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/) > [I must only warn you of one thing. You have become a different person in the course of these years. For this is what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/i-must-only-warn-you-of-one-thing-you-have-become-a-different-person/) [Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/) > [Assuming that his talent can survive the increasing strain, there is one scarcely avoidable danger that lies ahead of the pupil on his road…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/assuming-that-his-talent-can-survive-the-increasing-strain-there-is/) [Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/) > [He grows daily more capable of following any inspiration without technical effort, and also of letting inspiration come to him through meticulous observation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/he-grows-daily-more-capable-of-following-any-inspiration-without/) [Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/) > [Often nothing keeps the pupil on the move but his faith in his teacher, whose mastery is now beginning to dawn on him ……](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/often-nothing-keeps-the-pupil-on-the-move-but-his-faith-in-his/) [Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/) > [“And what impels him to repeat this process at every single lesson, and, with the same remorseless insistence, to make his pupils copy it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/and-what-impels-him-to-repeat-this-process-at-every-single-lesson-and/) [Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/) > [You must act as if the goal were infinitely far off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/you-must-act-as-if-the-goal-were-infinitely-far-off/) [Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/) > [The spider dances her web without knowing there are flies that will get caught in it. The fly, dancing nonchalantly on a sunbeam gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/the-spider-dances-her-web-without-knowing-there-are-flies-that-will/) [Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/) > [In the case of archery, the hitter and the hit are no longer two opposing objects, but are one reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/in-the-case-of-archery-the-hitter-and-the-hit-are-no-longer-two/) [Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/) > [The hand that guides the brush has already caught and executed what floated before the mind at the same moment the mind began to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/the-hand-that-guides-the-brush-has-already-caught-and-executed-what/) [Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/) > [The more obstinately you try to learn how to shoot the arrow for the sake of hitting the goal, the less you will succeed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/the-more-obstinately-you-try-to-learn-how-to-shoot-the-arrow-for-the/) [Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/) > [Far from wishing to awaken the artist in the pupil prematurely, the teacher considers it his first task to make him a skilled artisan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/far-from-wishing-to-awaken-the-artist-in-the-pupil-prematurely-the/) [Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/) [Explore all 27 Eugen Herrigel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/) ## More Archer quotes > [Of everything I have done, 'The Archers' always gets the most excitement; there's a sort of uncontrollable joy from fans of the program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/of-everything-i-have-done-the-archers-always-gets-the-most-excitement/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) > [“The bastard. It's bad enough knowing he's stolen our money,but it's humiliating having to watch him spend it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-archer/the-bastard-it-s-bad-enough-knowing-he-s-stolen-our-money-but-it-s/) [Jeffrey Archer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-archer/) > [“With the suddneness of a cat leaping upon its prey, he leaned forward and caught up her wrist. "Tread lightly, Miranda Fair." His thumb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-callihan/with-the-suddneness-of-a-cat-leaping-upon-its-prey-he-leaned-forward/) [Kristen Callihan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-callihan/) > [You can learn from an ordinary bamboo leaf what ought to happen. It bends lower and lower under the weight of snow. Suddenly the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/you-can-learn-from-an-ordinary-bamboo-leaf-what-ought-to-happen-it/) [Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/) > [But you must be patient and careful; nor should you expect to become an accomplished archer without long and severe training.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-thompson/but-you-must-be-patient-and-careful-nor-should-you-expect-to-become/) [Maurice Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-thompson/) > [“It was chosen by the archer and though it is a long way off, we cannot blame it when we fail to hit it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/it-was-chosen-by-the-archer-and-though-it-is-a-long-way-off-we-cannot/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Don't think of what you have to do, don't consider how to carry it out!" he exclaimed. "The shot will only go smoothly when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/don-t-think-of-what-you-have-to-do-don-t-consider-how-to-carry-it-out/) [Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/) > [I must only warn you of one thing. You have become a different person in the course of these years. For this is what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/i-must-only-warn-you-of-one-thing-you-have-become-a-different-person/) [Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/) > [Archer was too intelligent to think that a young woman like Ellen Olenska would necessarily recoil from everything that reminded her of her past.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-wharton/archer-was-too-intelligent-to-think-that-a-young-woman-like-ellen/) [Edith Wharton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-wharton/) > [“Archer looked down with wonder at the familiar spectacle. 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