Amidst economic crises, unemployment, inflation, violence, and social decay, many people may feel tempted to discard the teachings of Lao-Tzu as too idealistic. They argue that Taoism was a workable philosophy twenty-five centuries ago, but not any more because today’s environment is too hostile.
Really? I reply to them that Taoism is particularly effective in hostile environments. Lao-Tzu’s philosophy works very well despite a negative social environment, especially if we take the teachings of Yang-Tzu and Chuang-Tzu into account.
In contrast to idealistic doctrines, Taoism is slanted towards realism. Lao-Tzu developed his ideas in a hostile environment, not on a bed of roses. He witnessed war, famine and abuse on a daily basis. He provided sound advice to achieve happiness in spite of obstacles, constraints and setbacks.
How do Taoists find happiness in a hostile environment? I am going to answer the question by employing Chuang-Tzu’s metaphors of the sprout and the stream.
If we are surrounded by barren soil and fire storms, we need to find a place where sprouts are still growing. Even in deeply negative environments, there are still some growing industries, growing products and growing crops. Those are the sprouts we need to find, even if everybody else is talking about doom and gloom.
Similarly, if we are surrounded by stagnant water, floods or passivity, there are still some places where water keeps flowing towards the big ocean. There are still some streams of growth, movement and progress. All we need to do is to find a stream able to carry our boat forward.
Chuang-Tzu and the rabbit snares
Taoists are geared towards flow. I mean finding flow amidst stagnation, negativity and hostility. They do not get depressed by societal trends, no matter how pessimistic, because they are not sheep passively following the herd.
Lao-Tzu regarded life and happiness as an individual affair. He did take social conditions into account, but when it comes to making the correct choices, he placed responsibility on each individual. It is up to each person to align his thoughts, actions, and objectives with the Tao.
Chuang-Tzu focused on the crucial issue by saying that we should not confuse means and ends. Unfortunately, this error is widespread. Society can provide the means or tools for getting things done, but it’s up to us to determine how and when to use those tools.
In the 3rd century BC, Chuang-Tzu mentioned fish traps and rabbit snares, but today, we need to interpret their meaning. We should replace fish traps and rabbit snares with the amazing tools provided by modern society. I’m referring to the internet, low-cost airlines, credit cards, and smart phones, for example.
Taoists do not become paralysed by negative news because they regard them as tools, not as ends in themselves. The same principle applies to economic problems, inflation, bankruptcies and disruptions of any kind.
Lao-Tzu would look at them and ask himself how to apply those tools to make one’s life better. The opportunities are not self-evident, but they are always there. The more negative the situation, the harder it is to find the path to growth, but history proves that it is possible. It has been done a thousand times.
Lao-Tzu and empty spaces
Taoists are able to find sprouts and streams in situations that other people regard as hopeless. Their technique is not magical nor supernatural. Taoist can find streams and sprouts by using asymmetric thinking. They simply look at aspects that nobody else is considering.
Lao-Tzu introduced this principle in Chapter 11 of the Tao Te Ching. He pointed out that the empty space inside a clay pot constitutes its most useful feature.
Pots and cups are made of clay, but the clay is just a tool. It is important to remind ourselves that our goals are drinking or cooking, not to contemplate the pots’ and cups’ beauty, colour, and texture.
Taoists are geared towards finding sprouts and streams in all situations. They might consume the news just as everyone else, but they process information in a different way. Since they take news as tools, they never get overwhelmed by pessimism.
In contrast, other people may become overwhelmed by the constant stream of problems, which are presented as insoluble, terminal and universal. Lao-Tzu mentioned this sort of reaction in Chapter 12 of the Tao Te Ching.
He warned us against getting blinded by too bright colours, too harsh noise, and too spicy flavours. The Taoist does not get overwhelmed because he regards those as tools and means. He will assess the colours, noise and taste, as he keeps looking for sprouts and streams.
Chuang-Tzu and the monkey trainer
While people despair because of a hostile environment, the Taoist keeps looking for sprouts and streams. He knows that it takes work to find them, but that they can be found. He looks for clues quietly and persistently. He looks at the whole picture and assesses every discrepancy and every broken pattern.
I must hasten to add that the study of history constitutes one the best methods for training ourselves in finding opportunities where none seem to exist; the more we know about history, the faster we will be able to identify chances that other people are unable to perceive.
Chuang-Tzu employed the metaphor of a monkey trainer to show how easy it is to solve problems. In this context, I would say that the question is how to find sprouts and streams.
The trainer was facing problems with the monkeys, but did not want to resort to linear thinking. He did not follow logic in the Aristotelian sense, where more output would require more input.
Instead, the trainer simply swapped his method of feeding the monkeys. Instead of giving them three pieces of food in the morning and four in the evening, he began to give them four in the morning and three in the evening. Apparently, the monkeys liked it and the problem was solved.
Can we find sprouts and streams by adopting the strategy of the monkey trainer? Possibly. The key is to develop the ability to think asymmetrically, not linearly. That’s how Taoists find the most promising path even in hostile environments.
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.”