the soft may prove more durable than the hard
Proverb meaning that flexibility and yielding can overcome rigidity and strength, just as a willow branch bends under snow without breaking.
As the saying goes, 'the willow does not break under snow'; sometimes flexibility can be a strength.
Standard kanji form of the proverb.
Variant using 無し for なし.
A traditional Japanese proverb; the exact origin is uncertain, but it draws on the natural image of willow branches bending under snow without snapping.