The Most Powerful Force is Gentleness - E=mc^2 - DaoDeJing 43

The greatest power is gentleness or softness. It is more powerful than the hardest object. In its extreme form, it is substanceless void, like the electromagnetic force, energy without the mass, able to penetrate any solid wall. This is the principle of formless, the real meaning of non-action action, working without attracting attentions. Lao Zi give examples how such can be applied in DaoDeJing 43

DaoDeJing Chapter 43 Text & Translation:

1 天下之至柔，驰骋天下之至坚。

The greatest gentleness in the world run circles around the hardest of the world.

2 无有入无间， 吾是以知无为之有益。

The thing that is without a body can enter into that without any gap.

Hence, I understand the benefits of not forcing your way.

3 不言之教，无为之益，天下希及之。

Teaching without talking (by exemplifying behavior), the benefits of non-violating action, the world know very little to do them.

Gentleness is stronger than Hardness
The direct way is to push forward, to break through any obstacle in  front. But there are many other ways to overcome an obstacle. Direct is fine if your strength is greater than the obstacle. When it is not, there are many other indirect ways. Lao Zi says the gentle and flexible is more powerful. We can take a route around the obstacle which will be longer but we don't exhaust ourselves. If the obstacle is an animal object, we can tempt it to move away. If it is a human being, we can persuade him to allow us to go past. The key point is this --- you don't have to have a direct attack by force. There are many other ways. Think about the alternatives. That's also a winning strategy against a strong enemy. Sun Zi tells us to avoid his strengths and attack his weaknesses. 

Empty can enter any solid wall - Electromagnetic Waves

Taking the gentleness, or softness, to the extreme, it becomes emptiness or without a body. If it is emptiness, then it can go through solid wall since is it formless energy, energy without solid mass. Think about electromagnetic waves. You can receive radio, TV, and mobile phones signals anywhere anytime (assuming the energy is powerful enough to travel the distance and through the resistance). Maybe we can call this "the Formless Principle" which states without form, it can go through walls. That is why it is stronger than the hardest object.

Application of Formless Principle - Teaching by Walk rather than Talk
Lao Zi gives us an example of teaching without speaking or perhaps nagging is a better word. How do we teach without talking? By showing. By doing as an example for others to follow easily. Many companies have statements of mission, visions, and values. The best way to describe values statements is to describe them in observable behavior so that others can copy them. Describe them in abstract terms are subject to different interpretations by different people. 

More Examples?

This seemingly no-action formless work brings many benefits but few people understand them said Lao Zi. Another example given by Lao Zi is the Invisible Leader, the highest form of leadership. The details are in Levels of Leadership - Can We Measure Leadership? of DaoDeJing 17.

Lim Liat (c) 24 Nov 2016

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Here is DeepSeek's improvement:

The Most Powerful Force is Gentleness: The Formless Principle

The Core Paradox: The greatest power is not found in hardness or force, but in gentleness, softness, and emptiness. This is the "Formless Principle"—what lacks substance can penetrate that which seems most solid.

This idea, expressed in DaoDeJing Chapter 43, finds surprising resonance in Einstein's E=mc² (where massless energy, like light, is the universe's ultimate speed limit) and in the electromagnetic waves that pass effortlessly through walls to connect our world.

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The Text: DaoDeJing Chapter 43

1. 天下之至柔，驰骋天下之至坚。
The softest thing in the world overcomes the hardest.
2. 无有入无间，吾是以知无为之有益。
That which is without substance can enter where there is no crevice. Hence, I know the value of non-action.
3. 不言之教，无为之益，天下希及之。
The teaching without words, the benefit of non-action, few in the world can attain this.

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Interpretation & Application

1. Gentleness Overcomes Hardness: The Strategy of Indirect Action.
The direct approach—pushing against an obstacle—is valid only if your strength is superior. When it is not, gentleness offers superior strategies. One can go around an obstacle, preserving energy. One can persuade, entice, or adapt, transforming conflict into cooperation. As Sun Tzu advises: avoid the enemy's strength and attack his weakness. The gentle water, given time, wears down the rigid rock. True power lies not in confrontation, but in intelligent, adaptable flow.

2. The Formless Principle: Emptiness Penetrates the Solid.
Take gentleness to its extreme: it becomes emptiness, the "thing without a body." Being formless, it cannot be opposed. This is not a metaphor but a physical reality. Electromagnetic waves (light, radio, Wi-Fi) are massless energy that permeate solid barriers. They represent the ultimate "non-action action"—working silently, invisibly, and effortlessly. This is the power of the formless: it operates without friction, resistance, or announcement.

3. Teaching Without Words: Leadership by Example.
Lao Zi’s prime example is "teaching without talking." This is not silence, but exemplification. Abstract mission statements are less powerful than observable behavior. A leader who embodies integrity teaches it more profoundly than one who merely lectures about it. This "invisible leadership" (detailed in Chapter 17) creates influence that feels effortless, where direction emerges not from command, but from inspired imitation.

4. The Benefit of Wu Wei (Non-Action Action).
Wu Wei is not passivity. It is action so aligned with the natural flow of things that it leaves no disruptive trace. It is the farmer who plants seeds in season, not the one who pulls on shoots to hasten growth. It is solving a problem at its root cause rather than constantly battling symptoms. Its benefits—efficiency, sustainability, and deep influence—are often overlooked because its work is quiet and its successes seem to happen "naturally."

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Synthesis: The Gentle Power in Your Life

The Formless Principle invites a shift from forceful effort to intelligent presence.

• In Communication: Seek to understand and flow around resistance rather than argue against it. A gentle question can open a heart a forceful statement will harden.
• In Problem-Solving: Look for the root, the unseen pattern, or the alternative path. Don't just push harder on the locked door; find the key, the window, or the reason it's locked.
• In Personal Growth: The most transformative changes often come not from brutal self-discipline, but from gentle, consistent awareness and the subtle release of old habits.
• In Leadership: Cultivate influence through integrity, empathy, and example. Create an environment where the right action feels like the obvious, natural choice.

Conclusion:
Lao Zi observes that few truly grasp this. We are conditioned to value the solid, the loud, and the forceful. Yet, the most pervasive forces in the universe—gravity, love, ideas, light—are invisible and gentle in their operation. To master the Formless Principle is to stop swimming against the current and to learn, instead, the art of reading the river and letting its power carry you forward.

— Inspired by the insights of Lim Liat (2016)