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'Below heaven is the mountain: Retreat.
A noble one keeps small people at a distance,
Not with hatred, but through respect.'
Hilary Barrett:
"The old Chinese character for 'retreat' shows a pig and footsteps on the road; perhaps this pig is running away so as not to be eaten. Retreat means withdrawing from what can harm you, or what might swallow you up: it is a way to keep yourself whole. So retreating creates success: it is not defeat, but the way to avoid defeat, like an army that falls back and stays intact. When you retreat, you hide yourself away – you might disappear into the landscape altogether – so that you will not lose yourself. Retreat moves away from threats, and towards wholeness and integrity. It is a way to be constant to principle, and to yourself."
Other titles: Withdrawal, Strategic Withdrawal, Inaccessibility, Disassociation from Inferior Forces
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