This particular meaning would normally be expressed by emphasizing can , so as to indicate that it is being used in a less common way that the normally assumed meaning of the phrase. Niksen is a stress-reducing practice from the Netherlands that literally means to do nothing, or to be idle. Lao Tze teaches us to do nothing in order to get things done effortlessly. It is a key concept of Taoism, and the central theme of Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching. Because doing nothing doesn’t mean doing nothing. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”― Edmund Burke (in a letter addressed to Thomas Mercer). The full instructions for the Do Nothing meditation technique are: sit down and do nothing. He described this as wuwei (无为), meaning non-doing or ‘doing nothing’, and this is apparently the key take away from the ancient book Tao De Jing, written by Lao Tzu. A longer version reads as follows: Whilst men are linked together, they easily and speedily communicate the alarm of … However, most people need a little more instruction than that, so let’s unpack it a bit. Sophists will claim that I ain't doing nothing = I am doing something, but they're just pretending to be nitpicking lawyers.Context will tell you when a double negative is intended to express a positive and when it's intended to express a negative. Now keep on doing it. Find more ways to say do-nothing, along with related words, antonyms and example phrases at Thesaurus.com, the world's most trusted free thesaurus. Do-nothing definition, a person who chooses to do nothing; a lazy or worthless person. The sweetness of doing nothing and enjoying where we are in the present moment is the greatest thanks we can give for the lives and blessings we … Another word for do-nothing. I have already said that Wu Wei could literally be translated as doing nothing. That’s it. The cost of doing nothing out of fear of losing one’s job is understandable, perhaps, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a crime. Sit down and quite intentionally do nothing at all. Not knowing its true meaning risk missing the wisdom. That’s the short version, attributed to Burke. Wuwei is a Chinese word, written as 无为in simplified Chinese, and 無為 in traditional Chinese.. Because in natural language, double negatives are negative, not positive: language isn't math. Synonyms for do nothing include take it easy, loosen up, de-stress, repose, rest, slack off, unbend, be at leisure, flop and idle. In other words, it can be taken to mean that somebody is capable of doing nothing as one of several different possibilities. Find more similar words at wordhippo.com! Wuwei or non-doing is not just about doing nothing. What Lao Tzu is defining is a state of being in harmony with the Tao, behaving in a completely natural, not-contrived, way. See more. 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