Wu Wei: The Art Of Not Acting
Wu wei is a Taoist concept meaning “not to act”. It’s a philosophy that the best way to deal with a situation, especially a conflict, is to do nothing at all. It’s about not forcing a solution, but just letting things be.
Most of us find a philosophy that teaches us not to act strange. We live in a society that constantly urges us to do the opposite. In fact, we live a life full of things to do, full of feelings and thoughts. And if we don’t do anything, we feel weird. We would think this is a waste of time.
“Out of the emptiness of the wise comes calmness; of rest, action; of action, success.”
-Chuang Tzu-
Philosopher Lao Tzu wrote the Tao Te Ching 25 centuries ago. This philosopher reasoned that the best way to live was to harmonize with the flow of nature and the cosmos. This is the main idea of the wu wei: to let things take their natural course and adapt to it.
The values and virtues of wu wei
Wu Wei proposes a simple way of life because it translates into peace and harmony. This simplicity means not getting too attached to ambitions and desires, because they are the main sources of chaos and suffering, rather than understanding.
Simplicity also helps us live in a more peaceful way. This is impossible if we are focused on achieving great things. It’s about appreciating what we are and what we have instead of complaining about what we aren’t or don’t have.
Similarly, wu wei argues that simplicity helps us to accept things as they are, not resist the course of things, nor pretend we are in control of them. These are values and attitudes that contradict the Western mentality, but promote greater emotional balance.
The wu wei and excesses
Wu wei also draws our attention to the fact that excesses are the main source of problems. Contrary to popular belief, it is not the failures, but the excesses that make us more anxious. Therefore, the practical elements of the whey mainly focus on four points:
- Accept the fact that you are creating problems. Problems don’t come out of nowhere. They are made by our actions and by our mind.
- Don’t make mental effort to solve problems. Do not put them in your mind, and do not create solutions for your problems. The idea is to let them solve themselves and not take them seriously.
- Learn to appreciate the natural flow of things. This means adopting an attitude of inaction in the course of circumstances without thinking that you should intervene.
- Let the spirit flow. Don’t try to give him a specific direction or focus. Just let him go his own way.
Wait and see what happens
One of the principles of wu wei is to learn to wait and see what happens. It is based on the idea that energy must be conserved for actions without any source.
The people who wait for the right moment know how to act with the utmost caution. And with great energy, because they have not wasted it with unimportant actions.
Moreover, he who knows how to wait and see what happens can solve any situation with ease. It hardly requires any effort. This does not mean being negligent or passive, but rather being in harmony with the natural flow of events.
We must emphasize that nothing remains unchanged. It’s actually the exact opposite. What exists is constantly changing, with or without individual actions.
What we mean then is not to resist an event. Some of our actions make us resist. This generates a negative force that can become counterproductive.
Instead of helping us protect ourselves, it pushes us to harm ourselves in that battle. The goal is to let everything happen naturally, without resisting it.
