Looking Back to 2007: The Woo Way

The Woo Way
Original post date: February 6, 2007

We live in a world dominated by the ethos of competition. From the earliest age, we're taught that the path to success is achieved by outmaneuvering, out thinking and outworking the other guy. If you're willing to put forth the needed commitment, time and maximum effort, you stand a good chance of becoming rich and powerful.

The Taoist concept of wu-wei (pronounced woo way, hence the title of this post) offers a stark contrast to this pervasive mentality. Strictly translated, it means doing by not doing or action through non-action. In a world dominated by Judeo-Christian and capitalistic principles, wu-wei seems completely illogical.

How can any of us achieve a goal through inaction?

I believe that one of the reasons most westerners have trouble understanding the concept of wu-wei is that they seek to understand it too literally. They form in their minds an image of a Taoist sage simply sitting around all day with legs crossed and not doing much of anything.

This misses the inherent message of action through non-action.

One way to explain this concept in a way that most people can understand is to talk about being "in the zone". This is a phrase most commonly used in a sports setting, but could just as easily apply to a multitude of situations.

I've often heard athletes say that, after a successful game or match, it was like everyone else was moving in slow motion, except for this person. They saw things with greater clarity than usual and, almost without thinking, they performed better.

Writers and artists also know what it's like to be "in the zone". The words, music or images seem to come flowing out of them. Often times, such people will tell you it was a surreal experience, almost like the ideas were coming from someone or somewhere else.

Almost anyone in any profession knows this feeling as well. While most days on the job seem to take a great deal of concentration and effort, there are days when we seem to get a lot done almost without realizing it. On these special days, almost every decision rendered or every project attempted works perfectly as it should.

For me, this gets to the heart of what wu-wei refers to -- effortless action.

Too often, most of us go through life as if we're strictly following a time-honored recipe or marking items off of a dogmatic checklist. When we encounter problems or challenges, we try to follow some preconceived plan to overcome them (regardless of whether or not the steps match the true situation).

It's like a cook who refuses to prepare anything that might deviate from a specific printed recipe. It doesn't matter if everyone at the dinner table wants a Caesar Salad; the cook has a recipe for Hungarian Goulash and so that's what everyone is going to eat!

If, on the other hand, we allow ourselves to become immersed in our craft, vocation or hobby, all the steps needed to create something or accomplish our task become second nature. We get to the point in which we no longer have to think about all the necessary steps to get from point A to point B to point C.

In other words, our actions flow like a river. It's as if we do without doing.

To read the intro to this retrospective series of posts, go here.