Doing Nothing (1)

Summary:  This post is where the Minds of the West meet those of the East.  Starting with the book, Blink, by Gladwell, the post advocates a view that there is a linkage between what Gladwell talks about and what 'Doing Nothing' is.



Blink

(pic source)

In his book 'Blink' Gladwell talks about some magical power we have, adaptive unconscious.


In a way, when experts make a decision about something, somehow the 'data base' in the brain 'pushes' them to jump to a decision or conclusion.  Say, a tennis coach can predict when pro players make double faults when watching them serve.  The whole process is so natural and speedy that it is the power of thinking without thinking.  Or when Soros made bad decision his back hurts (the adaptive unconscious tries to communicate with him).



Yet, when I read books on Chinese philosophies (or religions), I found there are similarities that are striking.



Doing Nothing  & Cooking

In Daoism there is a saying of 'Doing Nothing' (Wuwei), but westerners always read the term literally. Doing nothing does not mean doing nothing.  Isn't it a bit abstract?  Well, an 'down-to-earth' example will illustrate the point.  How do you cook spaghetti?  Or do you like spaghetti that is overcooked?  Say if you are a cook and you overcook something, you are not practicing doing 'nothing', but doing 'something'.  Put simply, 'Doing Nothing' means keeping a balance: don't overdo.





Doing Nothing  & Bruce Lee

But 'not overdoing' is a bit negative.  You may wonder if there is a way to talk about 'Doing Nothing' positively.  Yes, there is.  Another example of 'Doing Nothing' is the martial arts of Bruce Lee.

When you do 'nothing', you let the true self coming out from you.  In other words, there are two you(s).  There is one who overdoes and one who does not.  The one who does not overdo is your true self.   Think about the actions, and motions of Bruce Lee.  He let himself (his true self) flow, expressing himself in his actions.   In other words, when he fights he gets lost.  But by getting lost he is his true self.                                                                                                                                                               (pic source)   

                                                                                                                                       

So, if you are a dragon be a dragon.   Let your true self flow.




Doing Nothing & Blink

In terms of (Western) psychology, 'Doing Nothing' is state of mind, a state of mind in which you relax your conscious mind.  And when you relax your conscious mind, you enter into another level, your unconscious, which in a way is your true self, the real you.  

This is where the minds of the West (Gladwell) meet those of the East (Doing Nothing).





(pic source)


In the book, Blink, when experts made a speedy judgement they are not sure where the judgement comes from.  But somehow they feel (their unconscious) it is right.  The same can be said about 'Doing Nothing'.  When Bruce Lee tries to express himself, he somehow feels the power, the power of himself, the power of his unconscious, the power of 'Doing Nothing'.




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This post is inspired by:

• Clarke, J. J. (2000). The Tao of the West: Western transformations of Taoist thought. London: Routledge. 
• A video clip of Bruce Lee