Trying Not to Try: the Power of Spontaneity | Edward Slingerland | TEDxMaastricht
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- čas přidán 2. 11. 2016
- Edward Slingerland - a Professor of Asian Studies at the University of British
Columbia - claims that recent research suggests that many aspects of a satisfying
life - such as happiness and spontaneity - are best pursued indirectly. The early
Chinese philosophers knew this, and they wrote extensively about an effortless way
of being in the world. We’ve long been told that the way to achieve our goals is
through careful reasoning and conscious effort. Can prof. dr. Slingerland change
your perspective to stop trying?
How can you try, not to try? Dr. Slingerland has combined his studies of early
Chinese philosophy with cutting-edge research from modern cognitive science,
evolutionary studies, and social psychology to explore why this paradox is real, why
is exists, and how finding a way around it is the key to both social cooperation and
personal success. Slingerland is the author of ‘Trying Not to Try: Ancient China,
Modern Science and the Power of Spontaneity”
Edward Slingerland is a Professor of Asian Studies, as well as adjunct in the
departments of Psychology and Philosophy, at the University of British Columbia. He
holds degrees in sinology and religious studies, and is the author of, most
recently, ‘Trying Not to Try: Ancient China, Modern Science and the Power of
Spontaneity” (2014).
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx
many things fall under this idea : eliminate self monitoring and second guessing to improve cognitive capacity, higher stress burns more oxygen while performing physically taxing tasks in front of an audience, growth mindset or judge your performance by how much you act instead of by the results, etc.
Genuine tendency or wants of the hot or subconscious is wu wei. In nature, flows of water and wind seek the path of least resistance. This doesn't mean that those forces are weak, it is just that their power is directed towards their nature tendencies. In western cultures, the belief system is polar opposite of eastern philosophy. This means they are not in the Tao (the way.) Therefore the wants of the conscious is not in synchronized with that of the hot, subconscious. It is almost like the stream wanting to flow uphill because that is where it is wanted by villagers. The wu wei solution would be for the villagers to come down from the mountain and live by the stream. Thus doing without not doing.
Absolutely fascinating. I've thought about the paradox in a social context - for example, why is it jokes are laughed at when the person telling it appears not to care about 'audience' response, why is it small body movements can reduce the impact of what your saying (for example, leaning too far forwards in your chair engaging in conversation, always checking people's faces like a keeno to see how they're reacting to what you're saying)..
But I think the same definitely goes for larger themes and life-fulfillment goals. Throughout, I couldn't help but think "yes but you need to train in order to get to the level where you can stop pursuing or you'll just be shit at everything and not caring..." and then he finally went into that at the end.
So I think training hard in your personal time at your goals plus not giving as much of a shit at the social level may be the perfect solution in some scenarios.
Agreed
Some times I wonder why trivial subjects get millions of views while these deep mind opening subjects don't!
may be some topics seem like a bite size bit or - unless we have come close this kind of topic it makes no sense and not everyone notices this stuff.
Looking at yourself is always hard
Best TED I ever heard. He must have been in the zone to deliver so much, so clearly, so efficiently. His book "Trying not to try", which I read, goes into the details.
Just bought it
Thank you.
Thanks CZcams algorithms for suggesting this video. Finally a practical explanation of Wu Wei.
Thank you!
Thank you for this talk, Mr. Edward and Ted Talk. This is eye opening.
This is just right on time for me 🙏🏾✨
He just gave words to the abstract thoughts in my mind ...and not in a timely fashion. I had put aside this paradox of the universe, and how it shows itself in different situations differently, away at the back of my wandering mind, only to have seen this video today. Thank you Prof. Slingerland for getting me closer to this whole ...THING.
Absolutely fascinating.
still, in the day and age, we need those great ancient thinkers more than ever.
Ed Rocks, thank you Dr TAO
Awoke to your interview on CBC radio this morning and it was a lovely introduction to another Monday morning coming up to 2 years of living in these years of Covid. I can do this..
Information dense. A real test of my ability to stay in flow.
Incredible talk
Absolutely wonderful, one of the best TED I have ever watched, it explains why it's so difficult to make efforts.
I CANT STAND SLINGLAND.
I loved how much he managed to pack in this talk. I have read his book TRYING NOT TO TRY and found it pretty good. Its interesting how the same truth is echoed by Slingerland and Alan Watts but each in his unique way. No wonder Watts' work is perhaps more comprehensive but that doesn't take anything away from Slingerland's work for me.
Yes it is amazing how many of these self improvers fall short of the dynamics and genius of Alan Watts. Alan was that gift to the world that does not come along very often. I feel very lucky to have come across Alan Watts by accident over 40 years ago. PlayingTai. Hi
Sorry (I did not try to hit the send button) anyway playing Tai Chi the harder you try the less it is Tai Chi.
Thank you. Brilliant talk. Thank you.
Excellent articulation of a profound subject!
U sound very smart! Have a good day
Great talk. When our consciousness is intentional, it has ipso facto, an object 'in tension' [with itself]; and this tension is just what we want during 'flow' states. The problem lies not in our consciousness but rather in our self-consciousness, i.e. our intentionality of our intentionality, which recursively gets in the way of and thereby precludes the free flow of spontaneous action. The way around this 'intentional blockage ' is to take an 'intentional detour' by means of another object which we rationally know to be syllogistically linked with the real object of our intention despite its not being an immediate object of our understanding. We must, as it were, use the cunning of our reason to sabotage the cleverness of our understanding, just as our understanding sabotages the [false] certainty our immediate sense-perception when we 'see through' an optical illusion. We could therefore define 'wu-wei' as the ability to 'act through' an intelligible illusion by 'going around' it - in precisely the same way that our understanding can 'see through' an optical illusion by ignoring or 'going around' its immediate appearance in perception. It is important to remember that there is this volitional aspect to 'wu-wei' since it has to do with action or the will. (Indeed, it is arguably a practical category in this sense, not a theoretical one.) Actuality itself is already the interfusion of individual activity and universal being and therefore just in virtue of being we are already acting. The trick to 'wu-wei' lies in seeing that the act has already taken place. Yoda says, 'Do or do not - there is no try,' but perhaps we should 'do' one better than the Jedi master himself and say, 'be or be not - there is no act.'
Man this comment gave me a headache
This ending was dope.
how insightful
德 is better translated as virtue, which is a quality that is considered universally good. The simplest explanation is that virtue (德) comes from being natural (自然) and spontaneous (无为). That's why Taoism and Confucianism are sort of polar opposites of each other, with the latter emphasising on using effort (用功) to achieve virtue (德).
the contradiction lies in chapter 38 of taoteching, where it listed the descending order of 道德仁義禮智信
I think the difficulty to be Wu Wei (not is try) is we can't give up pursuing success. Once when we consider failure is acceptable for our life, even thought purse no gain, we can be that state.
TRY NOT TO TRY CHALLENGE (99% WILL FAIL!!!)
100% will fail, those who did not fail never participated.
what does it mean? enlight me.. 🙏
@@geoninja3094 how to be cool
it's very common. look to the river. reduce the influence of emotions and desires means not to try.
Great talk. Great book. Wu(is the)Wei
Loved the talk. It gives words to a feeling. Loved the introduction of the second concept De, so funny. (11:59) 😂 Coincidentally I'm reading: How the world thinks by Julian Baggini. It also talks a little about Kant and Confucius. Perhaps something people who like this talk would like. Also just finished reading Quiet by Susan Cain. His book will be next. So nice ! Thank you.
Kinda like drawing & Motorsports. Once you get into the flow it's really easy almost
Sorry for being one year late but how can u get into the flow!
Surrender all plans
I thought to myself about cheerleading back in high school. I had a tumble block which means I knew how to do a certain skill but would over think it so much that I would not do the skill. From the videos I can relate by-or how I knew the skill but every time I tried it, I would not do it. However if I relaxed and didn’t think about it, I would be able to do that skill.
It’s interesting though that I had this tumble block because before cheerleading I was a previous gymnast who had spontaneous tumbling beforehand. It wasn’t until cheerleading that I had to worry about what others thought. When I began cheerleading I would do a tumble trick and then all of a sudden I was a “show off” than a great athlete. The thought of others thinking I was a “show off” made me feel conscious and I began to have anxiety. It makes me question that if I didn’t switch to cheerleading would I have continued spontaneous tumbling?
You still think in terms of success mentality which is not the right understanding of Tao. One might be very close to Tao but no one might see or know him or follow him. Take away hesitation of mind and soul is closet to Tao, but the way of spirit is the way of Tao.
A clean diet of fresh, ripe, naturally grown fruit (our original diet) facilitates flowing through life in the zone. Peace.
what about meat? You really think primates only ate veggies and fruits? What about before agriculture huh?
Pop smoke was heavily woo way💫
one day i will have money to spent and i'm gonna buy his book
Hi you can also search up pdf version online if you prefer, but probably won't recommend because of author's rights
That zoom in at 15:12 shows you the audience this guys having to face
But hey at least at 15:15 we get to see Alan Watts is still about it
Evolve consciousness receives these abilities as the part of evolution process. These are the benefits, when one transcendent from physical nature. Do not confuse physical nature as visible world seen from our eyes. Physical nature implies the excessive and objective thinking about getting this or that. Existence is subjective and purely emotional. Existence is not chasing anything but chilling and having good time all the time. Spontaneity is best felt during vacation time and natural. If you could consider your everyday life as full blown vacation then you can not help being spontaneous. This is precisely the nature of "THE NATURE" i.e. eternal vacation mindset.
Lol I was looking for How not to be spontaneous and this video popped up.
what about people who are overly rational by nurture? wouldn't that mean they wouldn't trust someone easily if they had such charisma? I've met alot of people who don't trust people who are they call too nice or who have too much energy.
Yeah never trust someone thats always smiling.
Especially first impressions.
That's precisely the purpose of meditation, right?
Absolutely, that's the purpose of shamata meditation, you can practice it to calm your mind, then you can act "with intention" on what you can control following the least resistance path.
Time to move to Vimeo!
But Who Cares What I Think
Wu wei
u dont have to be relaxed or in any state of mind to access flow
Title: trying not to try.
Me: if you're not trying, how are you trying?
Wu wei.
My question is. Yes, it's true that the heart, muscles, lungs, etc are designed to work involuntarily. But the human brain, not animal brain, is design to plan, think, and control. Don't you think that not using that part the brain's ability is unnatural and against the flow?
The idea would be using it until certain point. There are doors that those skills wont open. The power actually is the balance, acording to situation and to the individual.
If you control too much, you ruin your performance (all artists know that). If your do not care enough to control zero, your performance might be ruined from the start.
@@Andreluiz-dp2ho Exactly, when I perform I just shutdown everything else and let it flow naturally to myself.
Another way of explaining Wu Wei.
Good talk but what is that crackling noise the whole way - arrgh
🙏🙏🙏🙏🎴🌻💮🥀
wu-wee
game sounds to easy lol
Trying not to try to listen to his incredibly dry and noisy mouth noises. A great and relevant exercise.
i found the guy to be informative and pleasant.
I CANT STAND SLINGLAND.
Gawd .... he talk a LOT... What is he trying to say? He sound dry sticky, talking all fast. Relax. Take. A. Sip. Of. Water... your talking a mile a minute and saying Nothing. It’s like listening to a crazy person babble...
Nah, may be you're being a bit to harshly critical? He's trying to get a lot of info into a little time is all that happened. I find the speaker very articulate and explains a complex subject simply.