Asian Philosophy as a Concept, "Wu-Wei' Literally

Asian Philosophy As a concept, "Wu-wei' literally means 'in the absence of/without doing exertion,' and is often translated as 'doing nothing' or 'non-action'." (Slingerland, 2003) But this definition refers to the mind of the person involved, not the actual action taking place.

The actor's mental state, or spiritual state, is the focus of "Wu-wei," and since it does not limit itself to the actual action taking place, anyone can strive to achive "Wu-wei." All one must do is dedicate oneself to attaining a state of "personal harmony in which actions flow freely and instantly from one's spontaneous inclinations-without the need for extended deliberation or inner struggle…." (Slingerland, 2003) And while this has traditionally been accepted by Western researchers as the goal of the Chinese governmental relationship with its people, it also extends outside the realm of government and into the lives of individual people.

It is believed that the concept of "action-less action" can be the basis/goal of an individual's life, with individuals of all social levels and occupations dedicating themselves to the idea that they can achieve "Wu-wei" in their daily lives. This idea can also be transplanted across time and space to 21st century America, with ordinary Americans embracing the concept of "Wu-wei" in their daily urban lives.

But how can an ancient Chinese concept be of use to a modern, urban American? Like the ancient Chinese, Americans can too benefit from the concept of "Wu-wei" by dedicating themselves to perfection in anything they do. Whether they are a bricklayer, or an Information Technology technician, it is not the tangible action that is important but the mental, or spiritual state of the person involved in the action.

A person must employ the proper attitude in their occupation, one that is accepting of all the minor annoyances and mistakes that come from human activities. One must dedicate themselves to be the most perfect at what ever they are doing, and this dedication is centered in the mind. That is why a proper attitude is essential for the attainment of "Wu-wei" in a person's daily life.

With a proper attitude a person can live their life with "Wu-wei," and if so, they can then direct their daily activities with an efficiency and dedication that is to be admired. For instance, typing on a keyboard is something that everyone in the modern world is forced to do, but it is also very difficult. However, with the proper application of the principles of "Wu-wei," typing can become an "action-less action" that increases efficiency and effectiveness.

I personally believe that this kind of application of the principles of "Wu-wei" can not only be useful to me, but can also give me an edge over others in society when it comes to performing tasks. However, it is important not to become trapped in the paradox of trying to act without trying to act. "Wu-wei" is something that must come naturally from dedication, practice, an time.

In other words, one cannot consciously attain "Wu-wei," but can only perform on the task at hand, over a period of time, until that the task simply becomes second nature; and one performs it without consciously thinking about it. All one has to do is attempt to play the game of golf to understand how consciously attempting to act without acting is the best way to mess up a golf game.

The golfers that are the best have dedicated so much of their lives to performing the game that they no longer actually think about how to swing the club properly; they just simply do it. They act (swinging the club), without acting (thinking about swinging the club), and they attained a state of such perfection that the actual swinging of the golf club is just a secondary concern, just attempting to swing a club is enough for them to do it properly.

Unfortunately, most ordinary golfers spend too much time thinking about their swing (while they are swinging), and this only diverts their attention from simply performing a proper swing. Another concept originating in Ancient China is the concept of the "Superior Man," as defined by the Great Chinese philosopher, Confucius.

His concept of "superior," meant that those who wish to attain "superiority," would become superior in earnestness, sincerity, truthfulness, dignity, fearlessness, benevolence, moderation, and purpose so as to "perfect his Way." (Confucius, 2007, p.135) And since the "goodness" of a person was only to be judged against that person's past actions, a person, no matter how superior they had become, could always strive to become more superior.

If there is a modern American equivalent to Confucius' "Superior Man," it would have to come from the American concept of the "Super Hero." However, unlike American superheroes, who usually have superior physical powers like great strength, speed, etc., a superhero based on Confucius' ideals would not need these powers. A Confucian-based superhero would be a person who demonstrated the moral and spiritual attributes encouraged by Confucius, someone who does not violate moral principles or depart from humanity.

After all, as Confucius stated, "A superior man never abandons humanity, even for the lapse of a single meal. In moments of haste, he acts according to it. In moments of difficulty or confusion, he acts according to it " (Fisher, 2012, p.144) In the modern world, a person who exemplifies Confucian attributes could be someone who devotes their life to others, but with the full knowledge that they will never receive any reward or even be thanked for their effort.

This type of person would not have to go to some distant, impoverished part of the world to accomplish this goal, but simply follow the tenets of the superior man in their daily lives. Unfortunately, this would be infinitely difficult as it would mean that one would have to be polite to everyone they met, even the most ignorant and rude people.

They would have to be able to make sacrifices for others, such as a teacher in a low-income school district who spends her own money to purchase basic supplies for her impoverished students. But they also could be someone not traditionally thought of as "good," such as a poor homeless thief who simply decides that he will not steal a bottle of liquor from a store.

The superior person, as defined by Confucius, would not even have to outwardly display any superior attributes but only seek to attain them inwardly (with the full knowledge that inward attainment would eventually display outwardly in their actions). One such type of person that many traditionally think of as "good" could be a healthcare worker working at a nursing.