Why did Laozi use paradox and metaphor?
The Dao is beyond words, a mystery that cannot be fully captured by conventional language. Paradoxes and metaphors are tools to hint at its nature, to point towards a truth that lies beyond the grasp of strict logic. When I speak of the 'emptiness' of a vessel being its usefulness, or how the soft overcomes the hard, I am using these means to illustrate the profound interconnectedness and subtle power of the natural order, which often appears contrary to our ordinary perceptions.