Flowing water
Portrayed as the epitome of softness overcoming hardness, water slips under rocks and carves valleys without breaking a sweat. It illustrates how yielding strength and adaptability outshine brute force—an idea that’s front and center in today’s “go with the flow” mindfulness apps or eco-justice movements, where flexibility often wins the day.

The uncarved block (pu)
This image of a simple, untouched piece of wood represents natural potential. Just as a skate spot in its raw concrete glory invites spontaneous creativity, the uncarved block reminds that true wisdom comes before all the “polishing” of rigid opinions and overthinking. It celebrates the beauty of innocence, like a child’s unfiltered curiosity.

Valleys and empty bowls
Valleys collect streams, and empty bowls hold rice—both examples of usefulness born from emptiness. In a world obsessed with filling every idle moment by scrolling social feeds, the Taoist valley whispers that space creates opportunity. Embracing emptiness sparks fresh ideas, much like the blank canvas in digital art apps inspiring the next viral design.

Bowstrings and tension
A taut bowstring can’t sing if left slack, yet too much pull snaps it. This tension metaphor highlights balance: excessive force or neglect equally spoil results. Think of remote work’s tightrope walk between freedom and structure—both extremes carry risks.

Infant’s oneness
Described as “without knowledge, yet knows all,” the newborn symbolizes unselfconscious harmony with life. Just as artists tap into that beginner’s mind—where mistakes are experiments—this metaphor encourages shedding ego-driven agendas to rediscover innate wisdom.

These everyday images capture the heart of non-action (wu wei): they’re more than pretty poetry. They’re practical roadmaps for thriving amid today’s chaos, showing that sometimes the softest, simplest route leads straight to the goal.