Now, the moment of power
The Tao. This book kept coming up in my thoughts so I decided to read it. What does it mean? I cannot say for sure, but I’m fascinated with the idea of “wu-wei,” which some translate as unattached action, effortless effort, or action through inaction.
Unattached action is my favorite translation, and I interpret it to mean that you should act purposefully, but without great attachment to the outcomes of your actions, for you can never truly control the consequences of your actions nor can you control (or predict) the future environment in which those consequences will play out. In other words, don’t worry too much about the future because you can’t predict it.
This thought has come up recently for me in improv, when teachers talk about not going into a scene with pre-conceived notions about what that scene will entail. If you try and force your pre-conceived notion of what the scene will be about, then you will be rigid and unable to react and respond appropriately to your partner. Basically, you will suck because you are trying to shape your future in a way that is impossible (unless your partner is a mind-reader).
It came up again when I read Nassim Taleb. The Black Swan has no doubt changed my philosophy of life. He showed me just how damn hard it is to predict the future. Better to live in the moment and not create anxiety for yourself when the things that shape your life will probably be unforeseen and heavily influenced by luck.
Is this all a recipe for complete inaction and resignation? Absolutely not. Your actions today will still shape the future, and not in entirely random ways. Move toward what you want in life, but don’t plan too far ahead, and be flexible for when conditions change. At least that’s my current experiment in life philosophy.
Hey, I read “Impro” too! A great book! It got me thinking, and imagining freely again. I love the blog posts on it and the free flow creativity!
Thanks for the comment Michael! Glad you enjoyed.
Hey–I just got The Black Swan as a gift. I wasn’t planning to read it, as it doesn’t hold much promise of revealing get-rich-quick solutions. Sounds downright pessimistic, actually. But your post has whetted my appetite….
Clara,
I’m afraid you won’t find much in the way of get-rich-quick ideas in the Black Swan. You will however find an amazing essay that touches on many aspects of life, including the philosophy of science, history, and prediction.
I don’t know if I would call it pessimistic, although you could read it that way–that basically you have little ability to predict the major events that will shape your life and the world. I found it to be rather uplifting actually–if much of your life is based on luck, then it takes some of the pressure off. Anyway, you should definitely read it. It’s the book I tell everyone about when they ask me what I’ve been reading lately.
Besides, it’s hard not to love a writer who cites Bastiat, Popper, and Hayek as (a few of ) his intellectual precursors.