proverb · Words worth keeping
Force, no matter how concealed, begets resistance.
Force, no matter how concealed, begets resistance.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Concealed force producing resistance links coercion with a possible response against it. The saying asks attention to power even when it is not openly displayed.
What the words are saying
Begets makes the relation sound inevitable, but the response can vary and may not be visible. A responsible interpretation examines a specific exercise of power without demanding that someone resist in a prescribed way or blaming a person who cannot. It gives no conflict tactic or guarantee of victory.
Everyday example
A group examines whether an apparently voluntary arrangement contains pressure that affects people’s choices.
When to use it
Use it to discuss coercion and response with agency and actual evidence considered.
What it does not mean
No inevitable resistance, required confrontation or guaranteed outcome is established.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided wisdom reference (2014 AD)
Supplied reference B; unit 16; PDF page 10; collection label: Lakota
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- Lakota