Chapter 22: The Geometry of Yielding

Chinese Text

曲則全，枉則直，窪則盈，弊則新，少則得，多則惑。是以聖人抱一為天下式。不自見，故明；不自是，故彰；不自伐，故有功；不自矜，故長。夫唯不爭，故天下莫能與之爭。古之所謂「曲則全」，豈虛言哉？誠全而歸之。

Translation

曲則全，枉則直，窪則盈，弊則新，少則得，多則惑 What bends → preserves wholeness. What accepts distortion → finds straightness. What hollows → becomes filled. What wears out → renews. What has little → obtains. What has much → becomes confused.

是以聖人抱一為天下式 Therefore the one who perceives clearly embraces unity as the pattern for all under heaven.

不自見，故明；不自是，故彰；不自伐，故有功；不自矜，故長 Not self-displaying → thus illuminated. Not self-affirming → thus manifest. Not self-promoting → thus achieving. Not self-aggrandizing → thus enduring.

夫唯不爭，故天下莫能與之爭 Only through not-contending does all-under-heaven become unable to contend with it.

古之所謂「曲則全」，豈虛言哉？誠全而歸之 What the ancients called “bending preserves wholeness”—how could this be empty words? Through genuine wholeness, return to it.

Key Terms

Character	Pinyin	Structural Reading
曲	qū	bend, curve (distributes stress)
則	zé	thus, transformation operator (not “should”)
全	quán	whole, complete (integrity preserved)
抱	bào	embrace, hold close
一	yī	one, unity (the origin point)
式	shì	pattern, formula, model
不自X	bù zì X	not self-X (non-occupation of position)
爭	zhēng	contend, grasp (hands grasping)
歸	guī	return (echoes 反)

The Six Transformations

Input	則	Output	Principle
曲 (bent)	→	全 (whole)	Curvature distributes stress
枉 (crooked)	→	直 (straight)	Accepting deviation enables return
窪 (hollow)	→	盈 (full)	Low points accumulate flow
弊 (worn)	→	新 (new)	Exhaustion enables renewal
少 (little)	→	得 (obtaining)	Emptiness creates capacity
多 (much)	→	惑 (confused)	Excess overwhelms

First five: yielding → obtaining. Sixth: accumulating → losing.

抱一 — Holding the Origin

一 = origin point (0,0,0)

When you hold the origin:
  → all positions accessible
  → all transformations available

When you're identified with a position:
  → can only see from that position
  → must defend that territory

式 (shì) = pattern/formula. The sage uses unity as operational formula generating appropriate responses.

The Four Non-Self Operations

Not Doing	→	Result	Why
不自見 (not self-displaying)	→	明 (illuminated)	Don’t occupy viewing position
不自是 (not self-affirming)	→	彰 (manifest)	Don’t occupy reference position
不自伐 (not self-promoting)	→	功 (achieving)	Don’t occupy achievement position
不自矜 (not self-aggrandizing)	→	長 (enduring)	Don’t occupy persistence position

Non-occupation enables function. This is Chapter 11’s principle (利 shapes 無 into 用) applied to self-positioning.

不爭 — Uncontestability

爭 (zhēng) = hands grasping = contention = two parties occupying same position.

When you don’t occupy the position:

Nothing to contest
No surface to push against
Can’t fight someone who isn’t there

This isn’t passivity. It’s strategic non-occupation.

Connection to 利 (Scythe)

曲則全 = curve completes what straight cannot.

Approach	Motion	Result
Rigid (knife)	Linear push	Exhausts, breaks
Yielding (scythe)	Arc sweep	Distributes, completes

The scythe’s curve (曲) preserves wholeness (全) through harvest. The knife’s straight line exhausts against the field.

What This Is NOT Saying

❌ “Be humble as a virtue” ❌ “Don’t compete because competition is bad” ❌ “The meek shall inherit”

What This IS Saying

✓ Yielding distributes stress—systems preserve integrity through transformation ✓ Holding the origin makes all positions accessible ✓ Non-occupation enables function ✓ Non-contention makes one uncontestable ✓ This is geometry, not morality

曲則全