Wen Tzu - Verse 123

from Verse One Hundred Twenty-Three

Do not do anything without calculated planning; if the power and momentum of a movement or trend do not follow reasonable measures, even spiritual sages cannot achieve success thereby.

~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~

To be quite candid, this passage threw me for a loop the first few times I read it. Much of the Wen Tzu cautions against contrivance and urges us to utilize wu wei, effortless action. This passage seems to be sending a different message altogether.

I think -- though I'm not sure -- that the point here is that, while we should never try to force things, strategy must also be taken into consideration.

We've witnessed many times in human history when an idea comes ahead of its time. Many "facts" and theories that we take for granted today were ridiculed mercilessly when initially broached. So, in keeping with the idea of flowing with any given situation, we must also try to ensure that we present ideas when others are ready to hear and/or act upon them.

Far worse than having no plan to solve a problem is having a plan but packaging it so poorly that no one will listen to you.

This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.