Yield or Proceed

"Better to yield when it is folly to resist, than to resist stubbornly and be destroyed.” -The oak and the reeds (Aesop’s Fables) 

I was trying to recall an idiomatic expression about the resilience of the bamboo or reed and realized that I was trying to remember a moral of a story from Aesop’s Fables, which was required reading material when I was in primary school. The Oak and the Reeds is a fable about pride and humility where the oak represents pride and the reeds represent humility. Submit to the storm. Better bend than break. I’m sure that there are alternative and profound analyses of that fable including criticisms about the inaccuracies regarding the physiology and natural habitats of the aforementioned flora. Clearly the reeds were portrayed as the protagonists and the oak the antagonist so that if one were a very young person who just read it with the least ideal adult guidance—surely it proposes that submissiveness is an absolute good. I recently learned about the concept of ‘fawning’ as a response to trauma or ongoing trauma. A sort of non-action, or in extreme cases, the act of pleasing an abuser with the purpose of preventing conflict. I sincerely apologize if this is a triggering topic. I brought it up because it could be the worst repercussion of what an extreme form of humility or submissiveness can do. Honestly, I’m very confused. Very confused. There’s a tug-of-war inside my head between pride vs. humility. I’ve posted about accepting oppression or taking the high road. Similar to other opposing concepts, pride and humility aren’t mutually exclusive…I think. It could be blended to a ratio. As in the right amount of releasing the clutch and pressing on the gas pedal. Or just the gas, whichever transmission you prefer. And honestly, the binarization that is prevalent during this time is the reason why there’s so much anger, sadness, hopelessness, tribalism… I personally think that I should add a little more weight to my self-perceived worth than what I’m meant to believe. I understand the significance of humble gratefulness, yet I feel like I do not receive the amount of respect that is proportional to my actual worth. I remember Jesus’ parable of the talents and how one shouldn’t stay complacent or lazy about what has been given them and that investing in those talents will be rewarded two-fold or more. I’m still confused. Virtousness is frowned upon. Arrogance is frowned upon. Kindness is weakness. Publicly lifting others is suspicious. Self-promotion is obnoxious. So where does one put one’s self? Hide in a remote mountain or go deep into the jungle where the nonhuman-human ratio is 100:1 or greater?