The Wu Wei principle in Taoism refers to behavior arising from a sense of being connected to others and to the environment (Kardash, 2011). It is not in any way motivated by a sense of being separate and encompasses action that is spontaneous and effortless, embodying the notion of "going with the flow." For
Western urbanites, learning to experience or achieve Wu Wei is likely to enhance one's comfort in urban enclaves and environments that can be inherently stressful. At the same time, this set of practices calls for purposeless wandering, achieving detachment, and forgetfulness of results while becoming immersed in the here and now (Kardash, 2011).
From my perspective, embracing the notion "trying not to try" suggests letting go of attachment to stress and becoming more focused on achieving harmonious balance with the environment and all things within it. I think that learning to abandon ego motives and to acquire purpose without becoming obsessed with competition would strengthen one's enjoyment of life and promote a sense of well-being that would make it possible for example, for the individual to experience a reduction in tensions related to the workplace. The paradox of Wu Wei is such that the individual achieves a connection with everything that exists not by aggressively seeking such connections, but rather by simply allowing oneself to recognize that they already exist.
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