When Westerners are confronted with Taoism, they react at first with surprise, then with scepticism, and finally, with total disbelief. They are particularly intrigued by Wu Wei, the non-action principle that constitutes one of the pillars of the Taoist philosophy.
How can we get more things done by working less, they wonder. It is impossible to go faster by walking more slowly, they claim. Wu Wei, they conclude, is a fairy tale concocted by Lao-Tzu, and magnified by the literary talent of Yang-Tzu and Chuang-Tzu.
I could not disagree more, but I understand where these and other criticisms are coming from. They are coming from the logic identified by Aristotle (384-322 BC), where conclusions are accurate, buildings symmetrical, and people predictable.
Aristotle regarded the world as intelligible and the future as malleable. We just need to figure out the essence of any given situation or entity, and then we’ll be able to predict the future. I used to believe that Aristotle was hundred per cent correct, but experience had taught me otherwise.
Non-linearity in the Tao Te Ching
Chapter 58 of the Tao Te Ching enunciates the idea behind Wu Wei, namely, that “fortune depends on misfortune, and that misfortune can often be construed as fortune.”
With these words and their accompanying examples, Lao-Tzu points out the weakest aspect of Aristotelian logic, namely, the assumption of linearity. The edifice of syllogistic thinking rests on the assumption that, if A leads to B today, A will keep leading to B tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.
To the great dismay of Aristotelians, reality is not linear, in particular the aspects in which humans intervene. Lao-Tzu had noticed that people will sometimes misrepresent reality or pay allegiance to false ideologies because, in this way, they expect to draw some personal benefit.
To make things worse, Aristotelian morality, as presented in the “Eudemian Ethics” and “Nicomachean Ethics,” rests on the assumption that people know what they want in life.
Aristotle theorised that, if we know what we want, we can achieve it more easily if we practise virtues such as patience, persistence, courage, benevolence, self-discipline, self-reliance and tolerance.
Fair enough, I would say to Aristotle, but how many people really know what they want to achieve in life? How many are able to identify their long-term goals and pursue them steadily for years? I know a few individuals who fall in the Aristotelian pattern, but I also know many others that don’t.
Wrong assumptions about Wu Wei
The assumption of linearity is the root of all misconceptions about Taoism in general and about Wu Wei in particular. If we keep our eyes open, we can clearly see that A leads to B today, but tomorrow, A may lead to something else or somewhere else or to nothing at all.
What is the ultimate argument against Aristotelian linearity? The stock market. If Aristotelian linear or semi-linear thinking was truly superior, computers would beat the stock market and deliver enormous profits for investors, but this is not the case.
After decades of large investments in computers and steady experimentation, the results are disappointing. Computers can make quick calculations and predictions, but their profitability lags behind expert human investors. Why? Because of the non-linearity of financial markets.
Lao-Tzu figured out the non-linearity of social behaviour in ways that Aristotle could not even fathom. The Tao Te Ching’s metaphors about water, trees and sunlight teach us lessons that are absent from the Western philosophical tradition. If we don’t pay attention to those lessons, we might pay a high price.
Tomas of Aquinas (1225-1274) and other Aristotelians have done their best to present the universe and society as orderly. I acknowledge their efforts and dedication, but their arguments, instead of proving reassuring, show the flaws in their logic.
If Aristotle’s logic is accurate, how come that people today keep making the same mistakes as twenty-six centuries ago? If syllogistic logic can help us make good decisions, how come that accidents, crimes and wars keep happening?
Wu Wei as acknowledgement of non-linearity
Wu Wei is the result of the Taoist acknowledgement of non-linearity. According to Lao-Tzu, the wise individual assesses his chances realistically and logically. He’ll weigh the pros and cons carefully, and before coming to a conclusion, he will ask himself if he is looking at the whole picture.
If the conclusion isn’t hundred percent sure, as it’s often the case in life, Taoists will give priority to Wu Wei and stay away. They will refrain from taking action or reduce their investment in the project until it becomes clear if it is going to work.
Traditional Taoist stories train us to think non-linearly. The whole point of Wu Wei is to prevent severe mistakes and seize hidden opportunities. Better safe than sorry, says an old saying. Wu Wei says that it’s better to delay our actions or investments until we are fairly sure that we can catch the rabbit.
I particularly like the Taoist story of the farmer who lost his horse. When the neighbours were pitying him, the horse came back bringing along a second horse. Lesson learned, when all seemed lost, the misfortune turned into fortune.
The farmer was now wealthier. Instead of his original horse, he now owned two horses; however, his son learned to ride and fell from the horse, breaking his leg.
When the neighbours were pitying the farmer’s son for his broken leg, the army recruiters came to the village. They took with them all the neighbours’ sons as soldiers in the upcoming war, but the farmer’s son was not taken due to his broken leg.
As a result, the farmer was even happier. He now possessed two horses and his son had been spared from potential injuries in the war. The point of the story is that things don’t necessarily mean what they appear to mean at first sight.
Since we do not know the end of any story, we should rather employ Wu Wei, that is, prudence and minimalism. We should preserve our resources and time until we have identified viable opportunities.
The rewards from practising Wu Wei can be immense, but so are the obstacles. Misconceptions about Wu Wei can prompt strong, negative emotional reactions. Let’s face those reactions calmly, so that they do not bring us out of balance.
Are Taoist cowards because they want to delay their actions until they have analysed the complete situation? Are they lazy because they refuse to commit their energies until they are sure of the project’s soundness? I do not think so.
If you want to apply effective ideas in all sorts of situations, I recommend my book “Asymmetry: The shortcut to success when success seems impossible.”