Soft or Hard: Strength Lies Within

    We call ourselves soft or hard, depending on what we think is good. Soft power: strength through peaceful economic and cultural means, using the rule of law and more nuanced marketing and production.

    Adam Smith, Karl Marx, Henry Ford, and maybe even Elon Musk (the richest man in our lifetime) might approve. Or no?

    Do we value more the hard power, in the might-is-right military and technological worlds of Sun Tzu and Machiavelli? Who is better? The wealthy magnate who out-innovates his opponents, or the empirical despot who marches her troops across borders and continents?

    Has there ever been such a female military leader? I digress...

    Who is stronger, who is mightier, who is more virtuous, might ask the ancient Confucius of China, or the modern sages of the 21st century.

    Who is wise, ask the savants and gurus and elected leaders and mavericks of our time?

    What is hard, what is soft?

    Is it wise to abstain from sexual partners prior to marriage, waiting for one hoped-for life partner for the the ostensible rest of one's life?

    Some people believe that is the strongest and most virtuous way. The best for society, for the community, and all individuals involved.

    

    Still others believe in life-time celibacy. Which is best? Never having human productive contact for the sake of progeny (or pleasure), or monogamy?

    Or open contact with multiple partners?

    Does it all depend on the person or the society?

    Who is soft? Who is hard? What is strict? What is easy?

    For many it is is is hard to resist such personal, emotional, intimate contact at age 16, or 21, or 26, or 35. What of it? Does it matter?

    What is soft? What is hard? Who is strong? Who is weak?

    What makes us strong, disciplined, principled, focused, productive, best?

    Work, good decisions, good health and habits.

    Looking to serve, self and others.

    Saving and preparing for the future by being responsible and accountable.

    Be soft when soft is right. And hard when that virtue and grit is required.

    It takes all the strength and grace of all the choices above to be the best of all worlds, the best of everything.

    Like an egg, like life.