#260: The Lao Futility, Cultivating Mystery & a Six-Word-Story

3 Ideas in 2 Minutes on Saying Less

I. The Lao Futility

Those who know do not say, those who say do not know.

—Laozi

This quote by the legendary Chinese philosopher highlights how people with deep wisdom tend to avoid boasting. People who constantly proclaim certainty tend to lack a deeper understanding. People who write weekly newsletters about critical thinking tend to…

Anyway, spiritual entertainer Alan Watts once pointed out how Zen philosophers like to play a little game. The game of berating each other for using an awful lot of words to urge people to say less.

“Those,” in the words of Laozi, “who know do not say. Those who say do not know.”

And yet he said that.

—Alan Watts

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II. Cultivating Mystery

The art of saying less has not only a spiritual dimension but also one of power. After all, it’s a tool for Cultivating Mystery. That’s why I never get tired of quoting Robert Greene’s 48 Laws of Power on this:

LAW 4: Always Say Less Than Necessary

When you are trying to impress people with words, the more you say, the more common you appear, and the less in control. Even if you are saying something banal, it will seem original if you make it vague, open-ended, and sphinxlike. Powerful people impress and intimidate by saying less. The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish.

—Robert Greene, The 48 Laws of Power

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III. Six-Word-Story

It even works in storytelling, because the mind instinctively fills in what’s left unsaid. A big thank you to writer David Watts for pointing me toward the heartbreaking Six-Word-Story, often attributed to Ernest Hemingway:

For sale: baby shoes, never worn.

🐘

Have a great week,

Chris
themindcollection.com