Years ago, I learned in martial arts how to avoid a direct confrontation by redirecting the attacker’s punch and thereby neutralizing it. Last week someone stopped short right in front of me in their car. The right lane was open, I slalomed smoothly into it, avoiding the obstacle that came out of nowhere, and swiftly back into my original lane, elegantly, easily and in the blink of an eye.
Learning to circumvent obstacles - potential problems or confrontations – with skill and flexibility, awareness, ease and spontaneity is an acquired life skill. You need to be ready, always. We learned that too in taekwondo, how to react quickly without knowing where and in what form a punch or attack would come from. It requires a split-second reaction and good judgement, backed by years of training the mind.
The many bullies out there who navigate life with confrontation, force, and muscle power expend a lot of energy and create negativity, frustration and resentment all around them along the way. The Tao Te Ching already stated that “A tree that is unbending is easily broken.” Kindness, cooperation, flexibility, and good judgement garner respect and are skills for living life with ease and elegance - muscle power and force not required.