#8: Don’t Force Anything
?? Hello and welcome to this week's edition of Pursuit. We are all drowning in information but starving for wisdom. I spend over 10 hours each week learning about building great products and living a fulfilling life. Each week, I bring the highlights of these findings to save you time in your search for wisdom.
This week’s discovery:
The importance of limits
According to philosopher Mark Freeman, death is necessary for a fulfilling life. Freeman argues that limits, obstacles, and mortality give life meaning, purpose, and urgency. Without them, we would not improve and thrive. Freeman cites an experiment where mice provided with perfect conditions suffered and died, whereas mice with obstacles and competition for resources did well. This supports the idea that too much freedom can lead to a lack of success.
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What is the wisdom of wu-wei?
The wisdom of wu-wei is based on knowledge of the tides and drift of things, understanding when to use action and when to be passive, and recognizing that there is a time for action when it is necessary. It is also the art of sailing rather than the art of rowing, and it involves suspending one's ideas and opinions in order to observe the world as it truly is without preconceived notions.
The man of superior virtue [conscious of] his virtue. and in this way he really possesses virtue. The man of inferior virtue never loses [sight of] his virtue and in this way he loses his virtue.
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