--- ## Notes - [[Wu-wei]] - [[Discipline of Perception]] - [[Freedom]] ## Highlights Focus is nothing more than a concerted effort to push back against entropy, and discipline is the glue that holds it all together. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h56a51v3gep0ekx00jbaanx2)) Tim’s quip shines a light on the absurdity of the situation when he questions what all this discipline is for. If the ultimate goal is freedom, can’t we simply embody that now instead of using ambition to get there? By doing whatever the moment calls for, aren’t we living examples of the freedom that we so desperately want to achieve? ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h56a5hh1ssp0tcaszep2tc5y)) - 💭 freedom equals freedom The Daoists summarize their response to this question through the concept of wu-wei, which roughly translates to “effortless action.” The belief is that the world we occupy is already in harmony, but this equilibrium is disturbed by our endless desires and wants. So in order to restore this balance, we are to navigate the world according to how it _already is_, instead of attempting to bend it to our will. It’s to swim _with_ the current of the river to see where it takes us, rather than fighting against it to go to a destination we already have in mind. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h56aaaqnts87kyvdnwyc1dd4)) your action isn’t driven by a self-interested motive; rather, you are simply easing into the fluidity of the moment and seeing what happens. A disciplined mind, however, is often the antithesis of this dynamic. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h56ab2tzbtdmryftqpde3bcd)) Discipline is our way of actualizing a vision we want to attain in the future. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h56amtybwxpketc9jn0sckjw)) if your ambition is directed to a pursuit that has no concrete end state, that means that the endeavor itself is meaningful on its own ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h56apeccm8jp924avyg2b5f3)) navigating the boundary between the present and the future. Discipline is beautiful when it allows you to make the most of a given moment, but loses its utility when you only think of who you might one day be. Discipline can be used to show up regularly for what matters, but it’s only through acceptance where you can be content with whatever the current moment has to offer. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h56aswhcpxyxx5q30gd94n70))