ProverbWisdomInternational origin

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 German

  • German: Besser biegen als brechen (literally: Better to bend than to break)

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