Àn niú tóu, chībude cǎo.

按牛頭, 吃不得草。

Lit [Although] the ox's head is pressed down, [it] won't eat grass.

Fig Tactics which rely purely on force will not succeed. “You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.”

Note [See also niú bù hē shuǐ below and the preceding entry.]

Topics FORCE STRATEGY