Translation: If you are brave enough to be strong, you will die; if you are brave enough to be weak, you will live. The results of these two types of courage, some benefit and some suffer. What the heavens detest, who knows why? Even wise saints find it difficult to explain. The natural law is to be good at winning without struggle; Be good at accepting without words; Coming automatically without summoning, calm and adept at arranging and planning. The natural range is vast and boundless, although it is sparse, it does not miss out.
Laozi believed that the laws of nature are gentle and indisputable. He said that courage is built on the foundation of recklessness and recklessness, and one will suffer the disaster of death; Courage is built on the foundation of caution, and one can survive. When courage and gentleness are combined, people will benefit; when courage and recklessness are combined, people will suffer disasters. Both courage and harm are vastly different. Laozi’s proposition is very clear. He believes that the way of nature is to value softness and not to value strength and recklessness; Noble is inferior, not expensive is higher than valuable. And the way of nature cannot be violated. Some people believe that Laozi only focuses on the laws of nature and ignores the subjective factors of human beings, and does not emphasize the role of human subjective efforts. He is promoting a life attitude of retreat, timidity, and the idea of destiny. We do not agree with this viewpoint because what Laozi advocates is the laws of nature. People should not violate the laws of nature when they stand and deal with life. Being brave and daring is not the meaning of being brave and strong as we now call it. Being brave but not daring is following the laws of nature, not replacing objective reality with subjective will, and is not synonymous with cowardice and weakness. We agree with Laozi’s viewpoint that human behavior should be to choose the latter and abandon the former.
译文：勇于坚强就会死，勇于柔弱就可以活，这两种勇的结果，有的得利，有的受害。天所厌恶的，谁知道是什么缘故？有道的圣人也难以解说明白。自然的规律是，不斗争而善于取胜；不言语而善于应承；不召唤而自动到来，坦然而善于安排筹划。自然的范围，宽广无边，虽然宽疏但并不漏失。
老子认为，自然的规律是柔弱不争的。他说，勇气建立在妄为蛮干的基础上，就会遭到杀身之祸；勇气建立在谨慎的基础上，就可以活命。勇与柔相结合，人们就会得到益处，勇与妄为相结合，人们就会遭受灾祸。同样是勇，利与害大相径庭。老子的主张是很明确的，他以为自然之道，贵柔弱，不贵强悍妄为；贵卑下，不贵高上贵重。而自然之道是不可违背的。有人认为老子只注重自然规律，而忽视人的主观因素，不讲人的主观努力的作用，是在宣扬退缩，胆小怕事的生活态度和命定论的思想。我们不同意这种观点，因为老子所宣扬的是自然规律，人们立身处世不可以违背自然规律，勇而敢是不遵循自然规律的肆意妄为，并不是我们现在所说的勇敢坚强的含义。勇而不敢是顺应自然规律，不以主观意志取代客观实际，并不是懦弱和软弱的代名词。我们同意老子的观点，人类的行为应该是选择后者而遗弃前者。
《道德经》（第七十三章）
勇于敢，则杀，
勇于不敢，则活。
此两者或利或害。
天之所恶，
孰知其故？
是以圣人犹难之。
天之道，
不争而善胜，
不言而善应，
不召而自来，
繟然而善谋。
天网恢恢，
疏而不失。
《Tao Te Ching》Chapter 73
He who is brave in daring will be killed,
He who is brave in not daring will survive.
One of these two courses is beneficial,
The other is harmful.
Who knows the reason for heaven’s dislikes?
The Way of heaven does not war yet is good at conquering,
does not speak yet is good at answering,
is not summoned yet comes of itself,
is relaxed yet good at making plans.
Heaven’s net is vast;
Though its meshes are wide, nothing escapes.
