

A Meditation on the Art of Not Trying - juanplusjuan
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/16/science/a-meditation-on-the-art-of-not-trying.html

======
RangerScience
So about two months ago, on about my two-year anniversary with the company, I
switched from "Software Engineer" to "Solution Architect" (aka "Biz Dev
Engineer"). It means that I now go to a lot of meetings (frequently with
clients), where people draw on my knowledge of how our things work, and build
a few things on the side. Mostly marketing material.

It's a crazy different experience from actually writing the code, and some of
what I've learned and noticed has to do with "just being yourself". Part of
that learning process has definitely involved being placed in high-enough
stress situations that I was put off internal balance: by gaining familiarity
with _not_ being myself, I got a better idea of where myself _was_ and how to
stay centered there.

The first realization was that I could label my activities as _reactive_ or
_proactive_. As a software engineer, basically all my time was _proactive_.
Now, most of my time is _reactive_. But... the original phrase I used to
describe the _reactive_ activities, and the way I try to approach them, is "to
go be myself at things". The desired outcome is secondary to the experimental
juxtaposition.

Another way to put it is, I think: I (like everybody) am a unique snowflake.
The _point_ of including me on anything and of sending me hither and yon is to
have _that_ uniqueness present and available. Well, part of the point.

It seems to be working. I think (although it's a little early to tell) that
I'm more successful at this job than the last. At the least, I'm happier. Your
mileage may vary.

As a final note, when applied to personal growth, I think this attitude ends
up something like this: Don't aim for results, aim for experiences. Your
"higher-self" (whatever that means to you) can't just rewrite your "lower-
self" (the thing you're being when you're being yourself), but the former can
aim the latter at particular experiences. Go find out what it's like to be
yourself at that thing, and you learn a little bit about who you are and who
you are changes a little bit. It's an explorative act.

~~~
curiously
im a software engineer and looking to make the same switch do you have any
advice on how you got there? another role im thinking of is sales.

~~~
RangerScience
I started by pursing "sales engineer", but then someone said the magic words
"solutions architect" and it went from there.

Find the person who would be your boss if you switched, and start talking to
them about it?

I don't think I have any other relevant anecdotes, my situation was pretty
weird.

~~~
curiously
what is the actual range of experience required to do the job of a solutions
engineer?

------
thewarrior
Tl;dr There is no try. Only Do.

Practical advice from The way to approach this concept it to first understand
your struggle. Beneath the need to struggle is a fear that the world is an
unfriendly place and you are not supported. This view arises from the mind
rather from the way, which teaches that the flow, the ever present essence of
life, is the way. You can trust that the way will lead you. In truth, the
mind-made view of the world, where struggle is necessary, is merely illusion.
No matter how real it might appear. Wu Wei is the way.

To follow Wu Wei you must first let go of struggle. Stop fighting with life
and trying to make things happen. You are struggling against the flow. You
must first realize that you can give this up. Then it is the case that you
act, you are not passive - merely waiting for things to happen, but you are no
longer opposing the flow of events. Instead, you act, but let go into the
uncertainty of life, and you see how life actually occurs. You become open to
the mystery of which you are part. In a sense it is total acceptance of
yourself and this moment. Of course, it is necessary to practice this. While
the way is not of time, and we can be there in an instant, practice connects
us to this place over time. Through practice the way reveals itself. Only
through practice can this truth be revealed.

e.g.: Water may be directed and controlled by man-made dams, but it will
always flow to its destination naturally. To be in accord with that nature,
give up making dams for it only delays that flow.

Source :
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wu_wei#Practice](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wu_wei#Practice)

~~~
nsomaru
[edit: formatting]

Well, yes. But there are different levels of "doing." In particular, Vedantic
metaphysics divides the human being into body, mind, intellect; corresponding
with perceptions & actions, emotions & impulses, and rational thought,
respectively.

The body finds its impetus to act from either the mind, the intellect, or a
combination of both. For an action to be "perfect" (to the best of one's
ability), one needs to focus the mind in the moment.

Most new-age analysis ends here, but Vedanta goes further to say that the mind
naturally moves into the past (via worries) and the future (via anxieties),
and that it is the intellect alone which may focus the mind in the present
moment via a "higher" ideal.

"Higher", in this context, simply means that one should have a goal that goes
beyond one's selfish, self-centred interest. For example, in the context of an
employee, this might mean working for the sake of one's company and its
betterment, rather than selfishly working solely for a paycheck.

When working thus, the set of conditions for one's own happiness become
broader, and thus the mind is more easily able to focus on the present moment,
rendering an action "perfect."

Of course, there's more to it than this. My guru has written entire books on
the subject.

Source: Studied Vedanta for three years under A. Parthasarathy at the Vedanta
Academy ([http://www.vedantaworld.org](http://www.vedantaworld.org))

~~~
varchar
Interesting to see mainstream news media carry such articles. Many people in
ancient India tradition delved into nature of mind, intellect, memory, ego
extensively. They considered delving into this "inner world" a worthy pursuit.
Vedanta which literally means "end of knowledge or final knowledge" primarily
are in the Upanishad texts. They are typically discussions between teacher and
students on nature of mind, intellect, ego, meditation, samadhi etc. Very
interesting but best learnt under a competent teacher. The tradition is to
first experience (through meditation, silence etc.) and then understanding
would dawn automatically. The Bhagavad Gita which is said to be over 5000
years old says that "wise sees inaction in action and action in inaction".
Almost everyone experiences this sometimes in life. It also talks about the
wise one being skilled in both pravritti and nivritti - which broadly means
ability to act hundred percent and also the ability to totally let go at
appropriate times. This is considered a precious skill.

There is a vast treasure house of wisdom in the Vedantic tradition. But needs
a good teacher to correctly interpret it, complemented with regular
meditation, reflection etc.

------
Terr_
Don't use conscious effort to do whatever-it-is directly.

Instead, use that deliberate-brainpower to create patterns and habits that
your _un /sub_-conscious will continue even when you aren't actively paying
attention.

------
fsloth
Is this about Analysis paralysis vs. learning by doing?

From what I understand of asian philosophy, I think the dichotomy between he
Confucean and Taoist value systems is a very good mental tool - the former
stresses academic learning and analysis while the latter strives for
simplicity and doing what you can, right now, with the knowledge and tools you
have.

To draw a caricature: The confucean systems hold the bureaucracy that keeps
systems going for decades in the highest regard while a taoist would value the
spontaneity of an "agile and lean" system the most.

I think the "wu wei" concept is linked to a situation where a person has an
intutive understanding of a system and it's practical degrees of freedom and
constraints, and thus can let his subconscious to perform most of the heavy
lifting, versus a situation where for one reason or another the person does
not have a lucid mental model of the field where he tries to work and proceeds
through constant conscious cognitive evaluation. I might completely off in my
understanding, though.

~~~
anon4
I think you can actually unify both. That is, have both a system that lasts
for decades and have people move with spontaneity. The key is to disentangle
the system which dictates how things fit together from people's personal
lives. The system needs specific roles filled, but the people filling them
don't have to be the roles themselves and further, the system itself must
evolve, driven by the changes in the people that are in it.

------
keithpeter
> _“I’ve been out in the fields helping the sprouts grow,” he explained,
> whereupon his worried sons rushed out to see the results. They found a bunch
> of shriveled sprouts that he’d yanked to death._

There is a fair amount of sprout yanking going on in my little education world
at present. I can use that quote.

~~~
sitkack
rotor wash from tiger helicopters.

------
louwrentius
I'm sorry, I do catch the idea, but it really sounds like fluff to me. As with
many of these type of articles, I see some discussion and history, but no
content or true insight whatsoever. Only some anekdotes and religion-style
stories.

~~~
popee
Went to isolated island for one month to finish project and decided to relax
for few weeks. 10 days of relaxation was most fruitful, but in a sense that
solutions just popped up in my mind during sunbathing and doing nothing.
Anyway, in one moment i saw things from new perspective with clear vision on
what has to be done, and at that point things were so simple and beautiful it
was easier to just rewrite from scratch.

Conciousness is overrated, subconciousness is the key - works even after
working hours. It only needs will, time and little bit of work ;-)

Funny fact, didn't know anything about wu wei back then.

~~~
vinceguidry
This is how I program. Whenever I have a difficulty, I'll put it down for a
few minutes and wait for the essential insight I need to keep going filter
through my subconscious. Once i learned to trust the process, I just let go.

One thing I learned doing this is that projects all seem to take a fixed
length of time to emerge from your mind to the machine. You can spend most of
that time fighting it or you can spend it doing whatever else you want to do
while your subconscious is working on it.

Personally, I divide it between Internet, high-level 10,000 foot view
thinking, and socializing around the company. Doesn't matter. Projects still
get done on time. And better than if I'd been fighting it, because there's no
wasted time going down wrong paths.

~~~
popee
> Once i learned to trust the process, I just let go.

Exactly. It was really hard to digest the fact that it works, because you know
everybody think faster == better, but important part of process is to have
clear picture -> distinguishing between important and irrelevant == slow.
Anyway, in the end you make everything faster, because you go right way from
the start.

------
hownottowrite
Socially, many people are trained to react and fill the gaps created by
others. We fill awkward pauses in conversations with chatter. We feel
compelled to do work that some other leaves unfinished.

Wu Wei is a practice designed to short circuit this action through the pursuit
of conscious non-action. The main effect on everyone else is to evoke a mild
state of panic or at least some uncomfortable fidgeting.

You can test this pretty easily the next time you talk to someone by saying
nothing. Just leave a gap on purpose. Take no action. The person across from
you will feel the pause and will most likely fill it. Sometimes, if the pause
is long enough, they will fill it with personal details they would otherwise
never share.

One feels drawn to a person like this because their inaction creates a gap we
feel compelled to fill. This is the "charismatic" effect the author mentions
in the article. In reality, it's more or less a passive aggressive technique
to get people to do your work for you through willful negligence.

~~~
insickness
The success of this tactic will depend on how much power you currently have in
relation to others. If you are a wallflower or extremely shy, choosing to
remain silent will only serve to disempower you further. If you do have a lot
of social anxiety, your first priority should be to practice taking social
initiative rather than remaining silent. Because unless you have some type of
social status, people may rarely take initiative with you.

~~~
camillomiller
I agree. Ask any Apple's (high-rank) employees about Tim Cook's silences. They
say they may even be worse than Steve's wraths.

------
gumby
I think we all understand this at a simple, pragmatic level. For example, we
all want to become so comfortable with the keyboard that when we think of the
variable "bar" our hands automatically type it. I read the point of the
article as saying that this applies at higher and higher levels of function as
well: if we make things automatic we can spend more time thinking about and
accomplishing the higher goals. And as the article mentions flow, again, I
think we all know this to some degree.

And I was amused, if not surprised, to see that the confucianist writers had
twisted this to support obedience to the power structure. We're lucky Plato
had never heard of them!

------
UhUhUhUh
All narratives about enlightenment contain a form of letting go. Zazen, Koan.
Siddartha and his quest etc. I read a book years ago from a French guy who
suggested that this could be reached by writing meaningless sentences, which
he made a long winding point is more difficult than it seems. I guess one can
look at Azimov's A guy like that too. What it says, apparently, is that there
is a reality behind all this. The human mind does have the ability to make
qualitative jumps. We just need to get rid of the travail first...

------
quonn
Easy is right.

Begin right

And you are easy.

Continue easy and you are right.

The right way to go easy

Is to forget the right way

And forget that the going is easy.

\-- Chuang Tzu

------
pwr22
We as a society have forgotten, or not yet learned, that the thing we call
"us" is but a part of the organism that is actually us

------
jacobsimon
This is also known in Italian as sprezzatura: it's the practiced skill of
making everything you do appear effortless or natural.

[http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprezzatura](http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprezzatura)

~~~
nine_k
As far as I understand, sprezzatura is a demonstrated skill that requires
training and choosing good circumstances to demonstrate, like magic tricks in
a circus. At least so it seems from its courtier-related usage. That it,
sprezzatura is an ability to hide an effort, while the article says more about
not exerting the effort, or at least not doing it consciously.

------
FrankBlack
Simpsons did it.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j73cxLiqc2U](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j73cxLiqc2U)

------
curiously
I have a great difficulty understanding this article. How can one accomplish
anything without trying?

Believe me I spent years smoking weed, being myself and trying to build
something. It didn't work.

Now I am told to not try? Or does this actually mean to just relax but not a
be an idiot?

Paradoxes infuriate me.

