People nowadays often complain that life is too complicated and stressful. There are too many electronic systems to be used and they are constantly being changed; and there are too many requirements for doing everyday tasks, and those requirements are constantly being modified.
No wonder that many admire the Taoist serenity and want to follow the advice in Chapter 44 of the Tao Te Ching, namely, to avoid the traps of the world, to stay within their own range of action, and enjoy every moment of their lives.
However, unless they take it seriously, I fear that their wish for serenity is not going to be fulfilled. Why? Because it takes sustained effort to avoid the traps of the world and stay within one’s range of action.
For starters, we need to learn to detect the traps of the world before we fall into them. How can we increase our capacity to detect those traps? How can we increase our sensitivity in this area? As proven by the daily news, that’s easier said than done.
Excessive food and alcohol consumption, imprudent driving and drug abuse are omnipresent. Aggressive and inconsiderate behaviour can be observed all over the place; and far too many people display an abusive, solipsistic attitude.
Feasibility
I would not give any credence to individuals claiming that it is impossible to behave ethically in today’s world. They affirm that they would be able to behave ethically if they lived in a simple society like Ancient China, but that they cannot do it in today’s context.
Their statements of potential virtue are equivalent to desires of potential purity after having voluntarily besmirched oneself. Such statements are as useless as checks issued by a bankrupt saving bank. If you try to cash those checks, they’ll never clear.
Happiness and virtue signalling are incompatible. The more virtue signalling is done, the less happiness will ensue. Energy can be spent on beneficial or detrimental activities, but not on both at the same time. This simple truth stands uncontested.
https://johnvespasian.com/how-taoist-non-action-furthers-happiness/
