Wu Wei and Resistance.

Wu Wei (Chinese) is essentially going with nature or going with the flow. The classic metaphor is water. It is used as a principle of nature and the wisdom is to use the idea to aid actions. One classic way to use the metaphor is how water acts in nature. Many aspects can help in your thinking. It flows down hill, it is un-graspable and it brakes rock into sand. These (and others) can be used with the instruction to be like water. They are used in many ways whether like moving around an obstacle physically in a smooth flowing manor or round a more abstract obstacle at work or in relationships.

Another example of how to work with water (and hence nature). As water is thicker more viscous) than air and humans are not shaped for water travel more skill is needed to travel through it. The simple piece of advice for swimming is to cut through the water with a straight body reducing water resistance (in water it occurs at something like 2 miles an hour a compared to 30 mph in air – e.g. hand out car window). Another related point is the difference between swimming with the current and against it. Many people have died of exhaustion against sea currents to get back to shore.

The pattern is to avoid going against nature and go with it. Mankind rarely beats nature, the trick is to find and practice going with nature avoiding the head on conflict. Even massive buildings will come down eventually, they only work temporarily. In the end everything brakes down in Physics it’s linked to entropy.

Going with the flow is more efficient and wastes less energy. This means more can be done. A competitive strategy is to go for the opponents weak points and areas of vulnerability not against their strengths. Timing is another efficient method where just adding a small force at the right time can have a bigger effect then a large force at the wrong time. Sports tend to restrict some actions but most sports still have tactical ways of avoiding the head on situation. Using momentum rather than having to start from scratch (overcome inertia) is another tactic. Other tactics are to prioritise where you work on the most important and influential elements. Gaining the foreknowledge of how ‘nature’ works either as science or the patterns of actions can help simplify decisions and actions. Guiding or traveling in a straight line may be the best way or a path of least resistance.

The other key element is unity. Many times we go alone rather than as part of a team, or we use one part of the body rather than the whole body. Teamwork needs to be developed and used where appropriate and using the whole body rather than just arms or just legs everything physically and mentally has to be used as one. Concentration and focus also are part of the whole brought together at one point, not dispersed or uncoordinated. Overuse of a body part leads to injury as does one person on their own as well as being uncompetitive.

Another perspective is discussed by Pressfield in the War of Art, where he discusses the fight of the artist to achieve their work. To be an artist or very good at anything is actually going against nature. There needs to be constant pressure to move forwards. It has to be for a long time and at the right pace, to avoid burn out or losing momentum. The resistance is physical and mental. You need to acclimatise to new performance and your body and mind need time to adjust to accommodate the higher work loads.

It is important too also analyse whether something is hard because it’s the wrong thing to do. The cost may mean another option is better as the cost in energy is too great to achieve. The position you are in after using too much energy is weakened and may mean any achievement is Pyrrhic, for the next challenge. The work has to be worth he investment.

Evolution has favoured those best able to survive. Part of this is having enough energy for the next challenge. Another is a strategy or tactic to avoid too many challenges only taking the energy risk when the rewards merit it. Sometimes the lazy survive.

Another aspect of resistance is to use it just as Sailors and surfers use the sea and wind and skiers use the snow to guide their journey. Resistance is also controlled in electric circuits to prevent too much power. It is an advanced skill to feel and know the forces around and use them to aid action or movement. Using the energy of your surroundings to your advantage. In Tai Chi you listen to the energy of the opponent to use their energy against them at the right time.

The opposite and all to common approach is to resist change and maintain the status quo which is ultimately futile. Many times people will add resistance to prevent a potential competitor from overthrowing their position and vested interest. You can of course dam forces but large forces get through eventually. Mostly it is better to learn the forces and not try to stop the inevitable. Or stopping and starting needing to overcome inertia each time wasting energy.

You may not be able to go with nature all the time especially when you are in an unprepared situation (so get prepared!). If you can learn some ways of going with the flow then when you do meet resistance you cannot avoid then you will be more fresh for the challenge. The tactic of Wu Wei may be a useful principle but it takes practice another principle. When practised it is energy saving efficient and can look effortless. In competitive situations learning to increase the opponents resistance and reduce your own is a simple goal.

deeper understanding can come through the Daoist text the Dao De Jing.