← All practices

StanceAttested · Laozi

Wu-wei: the art of non-forcing

Do not add your strength against the current: move with it.

, the non-action of , is not inaction but the art of acting without forcing, sensing the current already present in a situation so as to move with it rather than struggle against it. It means giving up the wish to master what is not yours to control, and trusting the natural bent of things, their . Today this disposition eases the exhaustion of those who try to control everything: you stop pushing a door that opens the other way, and you often find the right move, the one that asks the least effort.

Unlock the practices

The step-by-step routine is part of Premium access: a modest contribution that supports and encourages the development of Philoscopia. Everything encyclopedic stays free and open source — this only opens the actionable practices.

Discover Premium access

Already unlocked on another device? Sign in to restore it.

Enacts

Source: Laozi