The sage lasts because he puts himself last, does not cling to himself. Aggression is suicidal. That which competes with others and leaves its base must decline and wither. Forcing things brings about the opposite of what one intends. Making people do things causes resistance.
Flexibility is power.
Corpses are brittle. Infants are flexible. What is rigid, blunt, and unyielding will not last. And yet water can overcome rock. The principle of reversion.