The bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak that resists
Meaning: Flexibility and adaptability are greater strengths than rigid resistance.
Origin: Posted as a Japanese proverb, but no Japanese source for this wording has been found. The idea is best known from Aesop's fable of the oak and the reeds, in which a storm uproots the proud oak while the bending reeds survive.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, and German
- French: Le bambou qui se plie est plus fort que le chêne qui résiste (literally: The bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak that resists)
- Spanish: El bambú que se dobla es más fuerte que el roble que resiste (literally: The bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak that resists)
- Japanese: 曲がる竹は折れないが、抵抗する樫は折れる (Magaru take wa orenai ga, teikō suru kashi wa oreru) (literally: Bending bamboo doesn't break, but the resisting oak does)
- German: Besser biegen als brechen (literally: Better to bend than to break)
More proverbs about Wisdom
- When the student is ready, the teacher will appear — Learning happens when one is truly open and prepared to receive knowledge.
- He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask remains a fool forever — Admitting ignorance and seeking knowledge is always wiser than pretending to understand.
- Do not look where you fell, but where you slipped — Focus on the root cause of a problem rather than just its consequence.
- He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything — Good health is the foundation upon which all other good things in life are built.
- Water finds its own level — People and things naturally settle into their proper place over time.
- The moon is not shamed by the barking of dogs — Those with true integrity remain unaffected by baseless criticism or petty noise.
From our idioms
- Bir fincan kahvenin kırk yıl hatırı vardır — Sharing coffee creates lasting bonds and social connections that endure for decades.
- رمى بنفسه في التهلكة (ramā bi-nafsihi fī at-tahluka) — Someone deliberately puts themselves in danger or a hopeless situation through recklessne…
- أكل العيش والملح مع شخص (Akal al-'aysh wal-milh ma'a shakhs) — Shared intimate bond or deep friendship forged through shared hardship and simple living…