# Preserving through flexibility: summary

Uses paradoxes of bending and preservation to describe conduct without boasting or contention.

https://sakimyto.com/en/classics/laozi/chapter-22-preserving-through-flexibility

## Source and summary

[Laozi · Dao De Jing · Preserving through flexibility](https://zh.wikisource.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%81%93%E5%BE%B7%E7%B6%93%20%28%E7%8E%8B%E5%BC%BC%E6%9C%AC%29&oldid=2354026#%E4%BA%8C%E5%8D%81%E4%BA%8C%E7%AB%A0)

> 曲則全，

Uses paradoxes of bending and preservation to describe conduct without boasting or contention.

## Editorial interpretation

The example below adapts this chapter’s questions to modern work. Evaluate it against the actual purpose and conditions; ancient politics, warfare or ethics do not establish business results.

## Business application

Separate the objective to protect from negotiable terms and compare ways to preserve it through flexible means.

1. Choose one relevant case and record its objective, available resources, verified facts and unknowns.
2. Compare options using this chapter’s perspective; choose a limited trial, owner, deadline and a measure to assess the result.

Deliverable: A comparison using preserving through flexibility, with conditions for acting or declining.

## Limits

The summary selects main points rather than translating every sentence. The example is not a demonstrated business method; check it against stakeholders’ conditions and actual evidence.

## Validation question

How does this chapter’s perspective change the selected option or priority, and what further evidence could change the decision?

[Laozi: a guide to the Dao De Jing](https://sakimyto.com/en/classics/laozi)

[This material](https://sakimyto.com/classics-data/entries/laozi/chapter-22-preserving-through-flexibility.en.md)

Updated: 2026-10-13 · v1.0.0