Forget the Deeps and Row!

Abstract

Abstract Previous chapters suggested that ‘forgetting’ and ‘emptiness’ are instrumental to the full exercise of dé (virtue, agency). A familiar obstacle to ‘forgetting’ and attaining ‘emptiness’—and thus to fulfilling our capacity for dé—is anxiety, or a nervous inability to focus on the performance of dào. One reason for the notable interest in skills in the Zhuāngzǐ is that skilled performances exemplify the emptiness, concentration, and responsiveness associated with applying dé in competent performance of dào. The present chapter scrutinizes the implications of one specific Zhuāngzǐ skill story, that of a ferryman who steers a sampan through treacherous deeps with preternatural skill. The chapter explores how salient motifs in the ferryman story illustrate broader themes in Zhuangist ethics concerning the flourishing life, in particular that adept performance in any field rests partly on psychological attitudes. To perform well—and to experience the ‘wandering’ mode of agency—agents must overcome anxiety about their circumstances and the stakes of their action—no matter how dangerous or intimidating—and focus on the task before them. The chapter delves into the concrete guidance the ferryman and thematically related passages offer about managing emotions and overcoming anxiety, including techniques for attention control and for defusing potential sources of fear or worry by reframing one’s values.