Book · 2014 · Psychology
Trying Not to Try
Ancient China, Modern Science, and the Power of Spontaneity
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I had this guy Edward Sling England on he wrote a book called Trying Not to Try which is about Wooi which you'll be familiar with.
Chris Williamson · Modern Wisdom · Apr 2025 Listen at 1:11:49 Why people recommend it
Trying Not to Try by Edward Slingerland explores the ancient Chinese concept of wu-wei, or effortless action, bridging classical philosophy with modern cognitive science to explain how to achieve peak performance and mental well-being by letting go of overthinking. Chris Williamson referenced the book multiple times on Modern Wisdom. During an episode with Joe Hudson, Williamson mentioned that he had interviewed Edward Slingerland and discussed the book's focus on wu-wei. In another conversation with Iain McGilchrist, Williamson brought up the text to introduce a specific quote from Confucius that Slingerland used to illustrate the delicate balance between human cognition and intuition. These podcast mentions highlight the book's value in helping modern audiences navigate the traps of hyper-rationality and anxiety. By examining how ancient thinkers understood spontaneous, adaptive behavior, the work offers practical wisdom for aligning our conscious desires with our subconscious instincts. Readers find in its pages a compelling argument for stepping out of their own way to live more fluidly and authentically in a high-pressure world.
Every mention
Chris Williamson I had this guy Edward Sling England on he wrote a book called Trying Not to Try which is about Wooi which y… 2
“I had this guy Edward Sling England on he wrote a book called Trying Not to Try which is about Wooi which you'll be familiar with”
“There's a quote from Confucius that Edward Slingerland put in Trying Not to Try, which I wanted to bring up earlier on about um the individual's requirement to balance this cognition and intuition...”
Also mentioned in the same episodes
Other mentions (1: passing, ad reads, own books)
“and so i revisit my first general audience book is called trying not to try and it's about this tension”