The Rhythm of Wu Wei
Rhythm of All Intensities of Action, not Impeded by Others Advice
Second Edition. March 7th, 2023. This essay is entirely a matter of opinion. Copyright © 2022 Talon 38 Personal Media, Sm-Llc.
Some Taoist discussions of the Tao Te Ching seem to me to have been interpreted in a skewed manner. I consider that there is danger to the reader, of reductions in quality of living, if attempting to adopt some of the skewed advice. In particular, Wu Wei advice concerning over-passivity, proscribed by many authors of western hemisphere translations of the Tao Te Ching, is misleading, in my opinion.
Wu Wei would, to my interpretation, of course not preclude distance running or judo practice intensities of action, just to aim to be foolishly lazier. Instead, acting as oneself, with self-value ethics toward self-person and other persons, would in the main involve one preferring and planning to not have oneself turned against oneself even slightly, by the advice of other persons, or the activity of other persons. This is not an overly selfish approach, as one adult interacting with other persons is considered to rarely involve other adults promoting generic advice on living one’s life.
Also, there is the case of personal encounter with someone boastful and accusatory of one being not adequate to handle conflict. If confronted with boasting ways, with Wu Wei there is wisdom to maintain self-integrity of brain smaller structures, such that verbal defence retort is wise, yet that would be brief and not so lengthy or inflaming of a retort, as to fall prey to the boaster. Falling prey to the boaster by way of allowing verbal sparring to turn into a reputation contest, can in a way involve one being fooled by the boaster in effect having dictated one’s courses of action. It is better to keep retorts small in time durations, and diffuse the ruse, to then disengage and proceed about one’s hours and days, unless in the rarer case when combat to the point of disengagement judo might be required. Yet mental judo can be a way of life, maneuvering mentally 24/7/~52 with the momentum of what soon or thenafter (attempted coining of a more logical word) might hamper or hinder one’s personal affairs, regarding all situaitonal factors in hourly living.
Also, the word harmony, in terms of musical properties, can cause harm, the first four letters of the word. Harmony is attained by all instruments in unison performing the same exact notes, causing a resonant dissonance. In contrast, rhythm is evident in any of all types of songs or tracks in music, for even a short duration in terms of seconds.
Rhythm with oneself, is to me the key to Wu Wei.
Philosophical Atheist Taoism, of broadly Paganism, benefits well from not idealizing or perfecting any notion in the Tao Te Ching.
