Power v. Strength: Crouching tiger, Hidden dragon

I just finished re-watching Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and it made me think more thoroughly about Strength.

The Chinese idiom crouching tiger hidden dragon  refers to hiding one's strength. And to never underestimate anyone - the film explores what happens when you do. In the end, holding back your true self will only end in demise...which suggests that ‘showing’ strength and ‘hiding’ strength is a complicated endeavor. One, I think, our current culture is obsessed with - continuing to show strength all the time…even if you do not have it.

I would go so far as to say, showing strength when you do not have it is called Power. And, speaking to our current situation of unfairly treating people of color and a nation-wide disease of white supremacy groups and the Trump administration, I think the evil white people in charge right now have Power but zero Strength. So, all that remains is Force.

Those who have real Strength are people of color and minorities. And they have had to hide it for a long time. And now they are not hiding it. Ya.

Also in the film, Poison symbolizes being too much of a coward to fight your enemies. I think the evil white people in power right now have continued to poison people of color and minorities through force of law, money and capitalism because they are too coward to face the truth. To face the fact that all people are created equal. Poison words and poison actions leads to poisonous lives.

Lots of parallels to our current words of May 2020. Ang Lee is a master and the film is excellent, if you are looking for something to watch.

xxCH