Wu wei is a concept of Taoism that translates as “non-action”. It is a principle that says that the best way to deal with a situation, especially if it is confrontational, is not to act. And more than not acting, not forcing any solution, but letting it flow.
Most people find it strange that a philosophy invites us not to act, we live in a society that constantly leads us to the contrary, in fact we live saturated with activities, sensations and thoughts, when you do nothing, I feel strange. We came to think it was a waste of time.
“From the emptiness of the wise comes immobility. Immobility, action. Action, success?
Tao Te Ching was written 25 centuries ago by the philosopher Lao Tse, this philosopher thought that the best way to live was to synchronize with the flow of nature and the cosmos, this is Wu wei’s main inspiration: to let things follow their natural course and adapt to them.
Wu wei proposes a simple life because it is the one that translates most into peace and harmony. This simplicity implies not sticking too much to ambitions and desires, for they are the main sources of discomfort and suffering, without realization.
Simplicity also allows us to live in a more serene way, when we focus on great successes and satisfactions becomes impossible, so it is about valuing who we are and what we have, rather than lamenting what we are not or do. I don’t have any.
Likewise, Wu wei shows that simplicity helps us to accept things as they are, not to resist the course of events and not to intend to take control of them, are values and attitudes that contradict the Western mentality, but that allow us to cultivate a better emotional balance.
Wu wei also draws our attention to the fact that the main source of problems is overeating, contrary to what many think, it is not the needs, but the excesses that lead us to feel greater discomfort, in this sense the practical elements proposed by Wu wei focus on four main points :
One of wu wei’s main axes is to learn to wait and observe, part of the idea that energy must be conserved for those moments when action is undeniable, whoever looks and waits for the right moment will know how to act with great enthusiasm. Wisdom. Also with enormous vitality, because he did not spend energy on irrelevant actions.
It is also part of the idea that those who know how to observe and wait will solve any situation with great ease, whenever it strives, this does not mean negligence or passivity, but synchronization with the natural flow of reality. We must emphasize that nothing remains unchanged, on the contrary, what exists is constantly changing, with or without our individual actions.
It is then a question of not resisting this step of reality, many of our actions are designed to make us resist, this generates a negative force that is harmful, instead of helping us preserve ourselves, invites us to hurt ourselves in this struggle. What we have to look for is for everything to happen naturally, without opposition.