Holding Both Poles
Beauty Invents Ugliness
When one is about to take an inspiration, he is sure to make a previous expiration. When he is going to weaken another, he will first strengthen him; going to overthrow, he will first have raised him up; going to despoil, he will first have made gifts. This is called hiding the light of his procedure. The soft overcomes the hard, and the weak the strong. Fishes should not be taken from the deep.
Key Insight
Apparent help can be the first half of a taking. Paradox here is tactical: the gift that precedes the spoliation, the rise that precedes the fall. Do not read the first move as the whole plot.
“When he is going to weaken another, he will first strengthen him; when he is going to overthrow another, he will first have raised him up.”Explore full theme analysis
