As the winter settles into our beautiful little mountain town, it becomes a good time to follow the patterns of all our ancestors and settle by the fire to think deeply about life. In that spirit, we at the Nederland Community Library are starting a new club: Philosophy Club.

In anticipation of our inaugural session coming up this January, I would like to talk for a little bit about a couple philosophical systems which are close to my heart. They are both philosophies dedicated to the simple art of living well. As someone who has studied philosophy at a collegiate level and independently since graduating, I believe these are two systems from which everyone can stand to gain something and at some point in their life should study (at least a little). The two philosophical systems are Stoicism and Daoism.

The core text of Daoist philosophy is the Daodejing. It is a poetic text comprising 81 short chapters, many of which have less than 16 lines, yet it contains profound wisdom that ties together conceptions of the cosmos and strategies for life. One principle of particular importance to Daoism is wuwei. Wuwei is translated as non-doing, non-action, effortless action, or action through non action. It is often applied in the context of martial arts -use your opponent’s movement and energy against them- but there are many other uses of this strategy.

Within wuwei are the concepts of observing first, acting second; acting efficiently; proceeding only when the time is right; and knowing when enough is enough. These concepts stem from the seemingly paradoxical idea that effective action comes from not acting at all. In reality what that means is that to not only maximize efficiency, but also effectiveness, you must come from a place of stillness, and you must not confuse or muddy your mind and efforts with excessive noise.

A classic Daoist example of wuwei is the master butcher (as written about by the philosopher Zhuangzi). The butcher who knows deeply the anatomy of an ox wastes no time in sawing through tough sinewy parts of the meat, but makes efficient clean strokes exactly where needed and no more. As such, it is said that their knife never dulls.

An example of wuwei I use myself is when I teach skiing. When learning to ski, many people often try to use their shoulders to make themselves turn rather than or in addition to their legs and feet. The turning of the shoulders is not only unnecessary, but also ineffective and makes turning much harder. A well-trained skier uses exactly what they need to turn, and nothing more, because the extra effort simply makes things worse.

The same can be seen in many other common mistakes beginning skiers make. A story my dad loved to tell when he was teaching me to ski was how many years ago, after an exhausting day of learning how to ski, my grandmother turned to her instructor and said, “Wow! Skiing is so much work! You guys must be so fit to be able to ski all the time!” to which the instructor replied, “Once you know how to ski properly, it requires much less effort. You beginners are the ones doing all the work.” This is wuwei. This is why professionals make skiing down ridiculous terrain look buttery smooth, almost easy, because when true mastery is attained, effort is minimized. It can be easy to see how this applies to physical things like skiing and butchery.

The trick of wuwei is learning how to embody it in all things, even those you are not yet a master in. How can you navigate relationships with wuwei? How do you make a wuwei morning routine? Where in your work (however physical or cerebral it is) can you embrace wuwei? This is how the daoist sage learns to flow naturally with nature; by applying this kind of mastery to the living of life itself. That is what is called “the way” or “the Dao.”

What then do the stoics have to say about living life well? The stoics too are fascinated with the concept of living harmoniously with nature. Nature as in our environment, but also as in our own personal human nature. Meditations, written by the ancient Roman emperor: Marcus Aurelius is like the Daodejing in that it is a short yet potent collection of wisdom that contains very practical strategies for living a significant and meaningful life, and it does so by putting the strategies in a larger philosophical context.

Of importance to Aurelius is the way in which focusing on the here and now enables one to live effectively and harmoniously. Aurelius says, “Objective judgment, now at this very moment. Unselfish action, now at this very moment. Willing acceptance—now at this very moment—of all external events. That’s all you need.” (Meditations, Book 9 Section 6). Much of what stoicism preaches is living simply, and straightforwardly. To accept what is and move forward selflessly. To many who have only passing knowledge of Stoicism this sometimes appears a very emotionless, almost inhuman detachment, but in reality it is about living more fully in the present. To wish things were another way than they are is counterproductive. It shuts out the real possibilities that present themselves if you first settle the mind and do not let your thoughts and emotions spiral you away from what is actually in front of you. Like Laozi, Aurelius asks that you settle into quiet stillness before acting.

There is much more to say about both of these texts, but hopefully this little excerpt of ancient wisdom has helped you find some effective strategies for your life. I urge you to try them out a little today. Meditation is a great way to practice the stillness that is required by these philosophies, but my favorite way to practice is to go on a slow hike alone in our beautiful wilderness here in Ned.

If this article has given you an itch to explore deeper, I encourage you to register for our philosophy club. I am helping organize it, and we are looking for interested folks who would like to read and talk about philosophy together. Join us Tuesday, January 23 from 5 to 7 p.m. Light dinner refreshments will be included, and

PHOTO registration is required.

Please come with an open mind and open heart, and feel free to bring any favorite Philosophical works you’d like to share with the group. In this first meeting, we’ll be discussing our preferred way to organize the group moving forward. Best for ages 18 and up. Hope to see you there!

Some suggested Daoist and Stoic texts you can find at the library:

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

Tao te Ching by Lao Tzu (this spelling is one of two ways to spell Daodejing)

Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff

Practical Taoism translated by Thomas Cleary

Wen-tzu translated by Thomas Cleary

The Tao of Physics by Fritjof Capra

A guide to the Good Life: the Ancient Art of Stoic Joy by William B. Irvine

The Stoic Challenge by William B. Irvine.