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Introduction

At first, this verse sounds like wisdom: strategic restraint, the strength of humility, a kind of elegant non-aggression. Nearly every English translation renders the tone of this passage as sincere from start to finish. Many commentaries treat it as an endorsement of Sunzi-style martial philosophy. But that reading misses how this verse expands on the concept of “Using People” (verse 68).

Here, Laozi mimics the voice of the “doctrine of force” to expose its absurdity from his worldview. The first half of the verse is a quoted construct, a rhetorical feint that slips past our guard, only to have the logic presented broken in the next breath. 

Translation

Concerning the use of force, it is said:
  “I do not act as the host,
    but as the guest.
  I do not advance an inch,
    but retreat a foot.”

This is called,
  “Acting without moving.”
  “Supporting without arms.”
  “Holding without military force.”
And thus,
  “Invincibility!”

There is no disaster greater than lacking enemies.
With no enemies to chop and destroy me, “I” remain.

Therefore,
  Balanced forces are a sad victory. 

Commentary

Concerning the use of force, it is said:
  “I do not act as the host,
    but as the guest.
  I do not advance an inch,
    but retreat a foot.”

This is called,
  “Acting without moving.”
  “Supporting without arms.”
  “Holding without military force.”
And thus,
  “Invincibility!”

In the political-military domain, it’s just common sense. 

The Zhou dynasty, the longest in Chinese history, was a golden age of stability leading to technological, philosophical, spiritual, and social advancement. And in Lao Zi’s time, it was collapsing. Vassal states were vying for power, each employing well-established, highly ritualized military tactics, resulting in futile battles of attrition. Political instability, constant warfare, and shifting alliances put military action at the center of leadership and social consciousness. The population is experiencing conscription alongside widespread death and suffering. Something needs to change. In comes Sun Zi, revolutionizing military tactics and winning more decisively with fewer losses. Sun Zi’s strategies included:

• being the responsive guest rather than the initiating host, and engaging primarily through a counter-strike strategy.
• making significant concessions now to win later, rather than forcing forward inch by inch with heavy losses.
• Win without deploying military forces wherever possible through subversion and indirect campaigns.
• Support allies without overextending resources.
• Do whatever it takes to hold territory peacefully, conserving soldiers for the front lines and keeping the peasantry happy.

These all seem completely aligned with our text’s teachings. Nothing would be better than being able to hold and maintain peaceful power again, using both diplomacy and threats of insurmountable force to become invincible rather than endless carnage. But restraint as tactical wisdom is not spiritual maturity. In a teaching style that will develop for thousands of years, the verse uses what people already know to get inside their guard, setting them up for a 1-2 knockout combo.

There is no disaster greater than lacking enemies.
With no enemies to chop and destroy me, “I” remain. 

Therefore,
  Balanced forces are a sad victory. 

Invincibility or the deadlock of mutual threat—neither is the Way. We need dynamic tension. Life unfolds through the constant push and pull of receptivity and activity. Friction generates the heat that cracks the seed’s shell and begins new life.

No, we are not seeking the false peace of balance that permits our delusions to remain. We are not seeking the safety of stability or stasis of self-affirmation. Weavers of the Way lean into resistance because we know, like the seed breaking through its shell, that on the other side of the resistance is fresh air and light.