Happy people do not waste their time telling the world how happy they are, and Taoists are not an exception. Neither Lao-Tzu, Yang-Tzu or Chuang-Tzu made any effort to gain adepts to their philosophy. They simply wrote down or dictated their insights, making them available.
If you want to adopt their ideas, or some of them, great; and if you don’t, it is also great. Taoists don’t fundamentally care if the rest of humanity goes another way. They acknowledge each person’s freedom to choose his own path, and the respect it.
Why is the Taoist approach to happiness so intriguing? Why are people curious about the Tao Te Ching, considering that it was written in the 6th century BC?
Because of the serenity that Taoists exude. Because they are able to stay calm in situations where everybody else is falling prey to panic. Because people want to learn to stay effective in the face of setbacks and social pressure.
Taoist happiness is based on effective energy utilisation. For other cultures, this concept is difficult to understand because of their emphasis on doing something at all costs. When they pick up a goal, they assume that continued action is the best method for achieve it. In contrast, Taoists consider doing and not doing equally important.
Economy of action
Chapter 29 of the Tao Te Ching enunciates the principle of economy of action. It warns us against doing too much, filling our cups in excess, and exerting ourselves in excess. In modern translations, those warnings are formulated slightly differently. They exhort us to avoid the superfluous and the extravagant.
The comparison of the Taoist ideas with other philosophies shows the striking differences. While Taoists are parsimonious and modest, others are profligate and prone to braggadocio.
As a result, it is no wonder that, in crisis situations, Taoists are able to draw on their reserves, while everybody else’s have been long depleted. Parsimony in action is the prerequisite for Taoist steadiness; the former is the enabler of the latter, and the latter constitutes an essential ingredient of happiness.
In contrast to other philosophies, Taoists do not believe that doing something is always better than doing nothing. Problems need to be solved efficiently, and Lao-Tzu’s insights teach how to solve problems without creating undesirable side effects.
Effectiveness enables us to move forward steadily towards our goals, which if they are well chosen, will contribute to our happiness. I’m referring to goals such as love, friendship, good health, and prosperity.
Metaphor of the muddy water
To achieve those ends, it’s crucial to say no to ideas, actions, and emotions that will prevent or delay our progress. Action is worthless, Lao-Tzu observed, if it will drive us in the opposite direction.
Counterproductive actions are worse than worthless because they will make us lose ground. If we drift from the correct path and start moving sideways, we’ll first have to return to the path before we can move forward.
The farther away we drift from the correct path, the harder it will be to return. Taoists have internalized this principle and will do their very best to stay on their chosen path. They regard drifting as a pure waste of time, not as a beneficial experience.
Lao-Tzu also taught us that happiness, and everything that it entails, needs to be attained one step at a time. In life, there are situations where little or no progress is possible, temporarily. It is in the nature of tides to come and go, and it’s foolish to fight against the tide. Taoists prefer to wait for the right moment.
Chapter 15 of the Tao Te Ching uses the metaphor of muddy water, which cannot be rendered clear by determined action. If we just wait, the muddy water will clear, and we will be able to see through. Impatience is the equivalent of shaking the muddy water, trying to make it stand still. That’s of course foolish.
Metaphor of the wooden block
How do Taoists define the path to happiness? Lao-Tzu used the metaphor of a wooden block. Each individual is similar to a wooden block that can be carved, little by little, into a certain shape.
If we apply ourselves, we can turn our wooden block into a beautiful statue. Chapter 15 of the Tao Te Ching describes this process as “the path to perfection,” which will unfold each day, as we keep moving forward.
For Taoists, the path to perfection entails the daily practice of virtue, as defined in the Tao Te Ching. Those virtues mirror the requirements of natural law, not the subjective opinions of any one philosopher.
Yang-Tzu underlined that Taoist virtues begin and end with the self-preservation of each individual and his most precious friends and family members; even social graces, politeness and good manners are regarded by Taoists as tools for improving or protecting one’s life, not as signs of self-sacrifice.
In contrast to other philosophies, religions and systems of thought, Taoism does not endorse self-sacrifice in any manner, especially for the sake of abstract concepts. The Taoist path to happiness is made tangible steps that elevate the daily joy and well-being of the concerned person.
This element of the Taoist path to happiness is particularly hard to understand for other cultures. When Christians preach modesty and a self-effacing attitude, they do it out of their love for God, not for the primary benefit of the concerned person.
Conversely, the Taoist choice for an inconspicuous lifestyle is made for the purposes of self-protection, conflict avoidance, and smooth social interactions.
By avoiding envy, Taoists aim at preventing enmity, hatred, and hostility. By staying invisible, Taoists avoid attracting the attention of criminals. Quiet, stable happiness is the goal of the Taoist lifestyle, and it requires taking daily steps to achieve it.
If you are interested in applying effective principles to real-life problems in all sorts of situations, I recommend my book “The Philosophy of Builders.”