--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The flexible are preserved unbroken. The…" description: "\"“The flexible are preserved unbroken. The bent become straight. The empty are filled. The exhausted become renewed. The poor are enriched. The rich are..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b40/lao-tzu-2-29577_old-saying_the-flexible-are-preserved-unbroken-the_1160262.jpg" --- # The flexible are preserved unbroken. The bent become… ![“The flexible are preserved unbroken. The bent become straight. The empty are filled. The exhausted become renewed. The poor are enriched. The rich are confounded. Therefore the sage embraces the one. Because he doesn't display himself, people can see his light. Because he has nothing to prove…” quote by Lao-Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b40/lao-tzu-2-29577_old-saying_the-flexible-are-preserved-unbroken-the_1160262.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b40/lao-tzu-2-29577_old-saying_the-flexible-are-preserved-unbroken-the_1160262.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b40/lao-tzu-2-29577_old-saying_the-flexible-are-preserved-unbroken-the_1160262.jpg) > ““The flexible are preserved unbroken. The bent become straight. The empty are filled. The exhausted become renewed. The poor are enriched. The rich are confounded. Therefore the sage embraces the one. Because he doesn't display himself, people can see his light. Because he has nothing to prove, people can trust his words. Because he doesn't know who he is, people recognize themselves in him. Because he has no goal in mind, everything he does succeeds. The old saying that the flexible are preserved unbroken is surely right! If you have truely attained wholeness, everything will flock to you.”” [Lao-Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lao-tzu-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Flexibility, humility, and self‑effacement lead to influence and success; rigidity and self‑promotion hinder it. **In simple terms:** Being flexible and humble brings success. Key Takeaway Cultivate humility and adaptability. Themes humility flexibility leadership Mood contemplative philosophical Type wisdom inspirational When to use this quote - conflict resolution - team leadership - personal growth - stress management Key Concepts Taoist philosophy self‑effacement non‑attachment Questions to Reflect On - In what ways can humility be a barrier? - How to balance self‑effacement with healthy self‑assertion? A Different Perspective Over‑emphasis on humility may suppress needed assertiveness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Old saying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-saying/) [Wholeness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wholeness/) ## Related quotes > [If you have truely attained wholeness, everything will flock to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/if-you-have-truely-attained-wholeness-everything-will-flock-to-you/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [If you have really attained wholeness, everything will flock to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/if-you-have-really-attained-wholeness-everything-will-flock-to-you/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [It's better to shake off superficial sometimes fake friends. 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But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/the-old-saying-is-true-if-you-have-only-the-word-you-dry-up-if-you/) [Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/) ## More by Lao-Tzu > [“Three men in ten conserve life; three men in ten pursue death. Three men also in ten desire to live, but there acts hasten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lao-tzu-2/three-men-in-ten-conserve-life-three-men-in-ten-pursue-death-three/) [Lao-Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lao-tzu-2/) > [“When the Master governs, the people are hardly aware that he exists. Next best is a leader who is loved. 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Mastering others requires force; mastering the self needs strength.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lao-tzu-2/one-who-understands-others-has-knowledge-one-who-understands-himself/) [Lao-Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lao-tzu-2/) > [“The person of superior integrity does not insist upon his integrity. For this reason, he has integrity. The person of inferior integrity never loses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lao-tzu-2/the-person-of-superior-integrity-does-not-insist-upon-his-integrity/) [Lao-Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lao-tzu-2/) > [“Stop thinking, and end your problems. What difference between yes and no? What difference between success and failure? 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I sought for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nwori-joshua/my-name-is-nwori-joshua-and-i-am-the-world-s-most-sorrowful-young-man/) [Nwori Joshua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nwori-joshua/) > [When will you Australians learn? In America we stopped using corporal punishment, and things have never been better! The streets are safe. Old people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer-simpson/when-will-you-australians-learn-in-america-we-stopped-using-corporal/) [Homer Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer-simpson/) > [“Echoing right-wing racist rhetoric, liberal organizations routinely smear "illegitimate," nonpacifist resistance as senseless and the work of irrational "thugs." And yet it is precisely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tipu-s-tiger/echoing-right-wing-racist-rhetoric-liberal-organizations-routinely/) [Tipu's Tiger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tipu-s-tiger/) > [“You know the old saying: 'one riot, one Ranger.'" The saying stemmed from a legendary event in the past. A minor fief had risen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flanagan/you-know-the-old-saying-one-riot-one-ranger-the-saying-stemmed-from-a/) [John Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flanagan/) > [I mean come on. Do you know how easy it is to be famous these days? Do you have any idea? The web has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-taylor/i-mean-come-on-do-you-know-how-easy-it-is-to-be-famous-these-days-do/) [Corey Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-taylor/) > [Where are the cops when you need them? (Nick) Probably eating beignets. As the old saying goes, when seconds count, the police are just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/where-are-the-cops-when-you-need-them-nick-probably-eating-beignets/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [It's better to shake off superficial sometimes fake friends. There's a lot of truth in the old saying birds of a feather flock together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-better-to-shake-off-superficial-sometimes-fake-friends-there-s-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“As the old saying goes, when seconds count the police are just minutes away.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/as-the-old-saying-goes-when-seconds-count-the-police-are-just-minutes/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [There's an old saying amongst players in football talking about your general manger and coaches, they speak with a forked tongue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-namath/there-s-an-old-saying-amongst-players-in-football-talking-about-your/) [Joe Namath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-namath/) [Browse all 274 Old saying quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-saying/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The flexible are preserved unbroken. 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