I am not exaggerating when I say that the Taoist mindset saves me one hour a day. Actually, it’s more than one hour. The reason is simple. Thanks to the Taoist mindset, I can make fast decisions while other people keep hesitating.
The Taoist mindset also helps me to say no right away and steer away from trouble, while other people keep going in the wrong direction, making mistake after mistake.
Indeed, the rewards of understanding Taoism are perennial and incalculable, but still, only a small percentage of people will make the effort. Only a small percentage will study what Lao-Tzu, Yang-Tzu and Chuang-Tzu said centuries ago.
According to tradition, Lao-Tzu lived in the 6th century BC. I am sure that, when he wrote the Tao Te Ching, he didn’t have in mind the readers in our century. He did not have to deal with the societal and economic problems that we face today, but his message is still relevant. Why?
Because Lao-Tzu understood human nature perfectly: what makes people succeed and what makes people fail. He faced a wide array of problems in his lifetime, problems that are rather similar, in essence, to the ones we face nowadays.
Let go of something old
Chapter 48 of the Tao Te Ching conveys an insight that sets Taoism apart from all other philosophies. It says that, each day, Taoists aim at learning something new, and at the same time, to let go of something old.
For Taoists, life is a process of constant learning, where we can seize fresh opportunities each day. However, our ability to identify those opportunities depends on our willingness to drop what does not work.
What does Lao-Tzu mean when he says that we should let go of something each day? He means failed projects, wrong expectations, poor investments, detrimental habits, stressful or toxic relationships, and generally speaking, unhealthy goals.
I say that this aspect sets Taoism apart from other schools of thought because, more often than not, those aim at making us go in a specific direction. They promote a specific lifestyle and virtues, and ask us to join their club. They invite us to become members of their doctrine, parish or community.
Taoism does nothing of the sort. Lao-Tzu commended us to align our actions with the Tao, but did not give a specific list of steps to follow. His instructions are vague, gentle, and require careful interpretation. Instead of telling us what to think, Lao-Tzu encourages us to think for ourselves.
Wu Wei, the principle of non-action, renders Taoism unique, because it maintains that, in life, there are many problems that can be solved by doing little or nothing. There are also many conflicts that can be solved by simply stepping back, making a pause, and allowing the dust to settle.
Avoid useless effort
I save plenty of time and energy every day when I practise Wu Wei. Instead of getting angry at inconveniences, I look for ways to circumvent them. Instead of growing discouraged by setbacks and opposition, I simply take a step back and pause.
Then I ask myself if I can solve the problem by letting it run its course. Instead of opposing them vociferously, I’ll just allow nonsensical initiatives to cause their own demise. I could have devoted a thousand hours to trying to stop them, but is it not wiser to let them exhaust themselves and come to a standstill?
Lao-Tzu reminds us, in chapter 48 of the Tao Te Ching, that when we do the right thing and avoid useless effort, problems tend to solve themselves; obstacles tend to become weaker and fall apart; evil intentions tend to defeat themselves because of the chaos and mayhem they create.
Nowadays, there are strong social pressures to succeed at a dozen things in life and push in a dozen different directions. If we fail to overextend ourselves, it seems that we aren’t pushing hard enough. It seems, according to the mainstream views, that we are refusing to reach our full potential.
Taoism does not revolve around potential, accomplishments and rewards. It is not a philosophical machinery to sharpen our appetite for additional wealth, fame and prestige. Its depiction of happiness is calm and harmonious, not harsh and strident.
Water is the Taoist archetype when it comes to lifestyle and personal behaviour. In Chapter 78 of the Tao Te Ching, Lao-Tzu exhorts us to imitate the qualities of water. He means that, instead of engaging in confrontations, we should flow around obstacles.
A different perspective
Instead of hitting against a hard wall, we should dissolve its mortar little by little, and wait until the wall collapses. Let the fools engage in bitter debates, waste their energies and poison their emotions. Taoists will not pour oil into the fire nor make long speeches. They prefer to preach by example.
No wonder that Chapter 86 of the Tao Te Ching considers a priority to identify our strengths and align them with the Tao. It is all about walking our own path smoothly and harmoniously. If we adopt the Taoist mentality, we stop focusing on what the rest of the world is doing, and concentrate on our own path.
Unsurprisingly, the Taoist mentality helps us make the best of our time. It enhances our output and effectiveness because it removes the noise from the equation. It makes us receptive to signals and cues that other people cannot see because they are focused on competing, not on getting things done.
When it comes to interpersonal relations, Taoists regard the world from a different perspective. Where average individuals perceive rigid hierarchies, Taoists look for possibilities of trade and collaboration at all levels; what others view as unassailable barriers, are just building blocks for fresh opportunities.
Last but not least, the Taoist mentality spares me enormous amounts of time because it removes ulterior motives. Taoism is not exhorting us to do good so that we go to heaven. It doesn’t promise ethereal rewards delivered through divine intervention but tangible happiness earned by doing the right thing.
Chapter 17 of the Tao Te Ching describes wisdom as doing what needs to be done without giving too many explanations. I have adopted the habit of getting things done without wasting time explaining why, how and what to people who do not care and who will only slow me down.
Like Lao-Tzu, I prefer to devote my energies to doing only what’s strictly necessary to achieve my goals, avoiding friction and confrontation as much as possible; life is too short to waste on pointless debates and theoretical doctrines. I prefer to steer away from those, and put in my effort where it counts.
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.”