Why aren't you a daoist? It's the easiest thing in the world

Why aren't you a daoist? It's the easiest thing in the world.

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>Why aren't you a daoist? It's the easiest thing in the world.
How about you start explaining the basics?

I already am. And I think it's made me hate the world more.

But now I'm not a daoist since I claimed to be. So frick you user

Basically it means go with the flow. Understand that you are a small piece completely at mercy of the universe. Realize that acting won't bring any change, people act when they decide to act and you can do nothing about it. Accept whatever lot you drew and let time carry you. Don't fight it and don't expect greatness, just live in the now.
The most important part for me was to just 'get' that this is the place I was assigned to and that struggling made me tired. We are all very small fish in a very big ocean, let the current bring you to peace.

>pretend like you aren't in control of your life
But I am. I may not be very good at it or have all that much control, but I still have to live with the consequences of what I do and don't do, so how can I shirk that responsibility?

Well, that means that I have always been somewhat of a daoist without even knowing.
>go with the flow
>Realize that acting won't bring any change
I did never get the point of "striving", I have always been very laid back and I always knew that there wasn't much I could do to be different from what I happened to be.
Can you recommend something to read or to watch about daoism?

I think you already know all you need to know. Try to put some conscious effort into 'doing nothing' maybe.

You may control your own actions but your life has way more variables affecting your life than your own conscious effort. All of which are beyond your control.

>You may control your own actions but your life has way more variables affecting your life than your own conscious effort. All of which are beyond your control.
Great, but how do I know wherein lies the line between what I do control and what I don't control? How can I possibly know that without continually testing and pushing for it?

Why do you need to know? All it gives you is agony. Acceptance brings peace.
I'll answer anyway. As I said your own actions are what you can control. How these actions move other people however is not up to you. Thats the line. Simple as that. Always testing and pushing won't get people to act, they will act when they see fit (wether they know or not)

>All it gives you is agony. Acceptance brings peace.
Duh, but if I could manage that I wouldn't be so mentally ill.
>How these actions move other people however is not up to you. Thats the line. Simple as that.
I wish that was true, but it's naive to suggest that your actions don't influence other people. Is it a recipe for misery to try to control others through your own actions? Almost certainly, but it also proved so essential to my survival that it's wired into my brain in a way that I cannot switch off.
The trouble with these ancient philosophies is they're only useful for normies. They originate from a time where mental illness was essentially nonexistent.

>All it gives you is agony
That's absolutely not true. It`s like you're implying that you should never try anything because there is always the possibility of failing. But if you have a healthy attitude about failures and setbacks then you need not be in prolonged pain about them. On the other hand, even if you live a completely passive life you won't be able to avoid all pain. But avoiding pain isn't what life should be about anyway.

Of course your actions influence people, you just cant control how and when/if they lead them to act.
Also i don't think norms need philosophy to be happy because they don't think enough to be unhappy. They are preoccupied with having successfull lifes unlike us.

It's not about avoiding pain or running away from risks. It's just realizing your own powerlessness

I think I will become one. Any good books? I enjoyed the gateless gate (not daoism).

I don't really get what you mean with powerless. That certain things are beyond my controll is obvious. But so is the fact that my actions do have an influence. So how should I decide what action to take?This notion of "flow" seems really vague

I read the Tao Te Ching and was disappointed

At this point I would only be repeating myself. Sorry, but i can't put it into words beyond this. Maybe it's something you have to experience yourself.

Then give an example of how daoist thought has changed the way your interact with the world

I am a bad example I think. For me it changed my degree of happiness more than anything else. Also I didn't just decide to become a daoist, I just realized that I kinda was. I still only go outside for uni and have no life beyond that. But I do not worry so much, I stopped overthinking everything. I plan a week ahead at most(when I buy food) and basically I am just at peace, content, thats it.
But honestly for thats more than enough.

It's nice that you have found a way of thinking that makes you happy but that sounds more like you just have a relaxed attitude and not something you need a special philosophy for.

Hmm maybe, but considering that I used to overthink everything and have panic attacks when I went to bed because all my thoughts about the future (and past ofc) came rushing or that I get endlessly fed up with things out of my control makes me think otherwise.

IMO Daodejing is pretty esoteric and difficult to understand, Zhuangzi might be better for you.