Skilled unawareness means intuitive spontaneity

I constantly strive to achieve a state of being where I can do the best thing in the best way at the best time, without conscious effort: a form of skilled unawareness.

Thanks to a post at Diary of a Daoist Hermit, I’ve found a concise definition in “intuitive spontaneity”:

As Graham characterizes him, Zhuangzi believed that human beings are at their best when “heaven” lives through them, or, when people “merge with the Dao”. This is not some sort of cosmic daze, but rather when people develop an appropriate form of intuitive spontaneity that allows them to do the right thing in the right way at the right time—without having to think about it. He uses the analogy of a skilled tradesman who has developed the “knack” of his craft and suggests that a sage has a similar “knack” for living.

Link (via Diary of a Daoist Recluse)

I’ve been familiar with these concepts for years; the idea is that a person just does what needs to be done, without thinking about it. They are so “in tune” with this knowledge that their actions come as second nature, much as a professional athlete is so well trained that their “muscle memory” dictates their physical movements unconsciously.

Taoism explains this skilled unawareness in Zhuangzi:

A good craftsman draws lines and circles without the help of compasses and squares. His fingers are so sensitively attuned to his material that he does not depend on the direction of his mind.

In Taoism, as suggested by the opening quote, a sage is one who has such skill in the art of living.

In order to achieve such state of being, Taoism suggests observation of the universe to try to live in accordance with its way: the Tao. The 48th chapter of the Taoist text Tao Te Ching starts:

The student of knowledge (aims at) learning day by day;
The student of Tao (aims at) losing day by day.

Where Taoism says to lose your learning to achieve intuitive spontaneity, the very similar Bushido ideal of “treating matters of great concern lightly” suggests the opposite approach.

In both ideals the end result is the same: to able to handle anything that comes. In contrast to Taoism however, Bushido speaks of resolve that comes from a never ending process of study.

It is a skilled unawareness too, because even a sufficiently prepared person is encouraged to believe that their skill is never sufficient. The Bushido text Hagakure says:

In the highest level a man has the look of knowing nothing.

To an outside observer, the person may appear to not know what they are doing. This is also echoed in chapter 45 of Tao Te Ching:

The highest perfection is like imperfection

So Taoism and Bushido provide different paths to the same goal of skilled unawareness, intuitive spontaneity, of treating matters of great concern lightly. Bushido points to continual learning, Taoism to continual unlearning.

However, I believe the concept of intuitive spontaneity is not unique to Taoism, Bushido, or even to eastern thought. Though I can’t find a specific reference now (and put this post on pause for two hours whilst poring over books and notes) the concept also appears in Existentialism. I’ll keep looking.