Taoism: Action Versus Inaction
The Star Trek The Next Generation episode: "Booby Trap" shows a perfect
example of Taoist thought. The crew of the Enterprise is always taking some
action in order to achieve a specific goal. This episode shows that through
inaction you can sometimes achieve far more than you could through action. The
mind of the physical senses cannot grasp the concepts of the unnameable. The
crew of the Enterprise learn a valuable lesson on the nature of decision making
and how to do without doing anything.
The Enterprise is caught in an ancient trap that uses the starships own
power supply to destroy its occupants. The answer to the trap is to shut down
the engines; by generating no power the trap is overcome. Taoism is a philosophy
based on inaction: "Therefore the Master acts without doing anything and teaches
without saying anything."(Tao Te Ching pg. 2)
When the true nature of the trap is revealed, Ryker states "If we resist
we die. If we don't resist we......
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