2023-02-13 Mon 12:11 PM ![[moses_a_peaceful_monk_in_plain_clothes_waits_while_the_the_busy_4c346ce0-570b-4fe9-b94c-4ff244b3d95b.png]] From some anime show — *The Last Airbender*, maybe? — via David Stavis. On the list of [[Hub. Techniques to facilitate flourishing (hub)]]. The idea is that there are two commonly-recognized modes of engaging: attack-jing and defend-jing. But there's also a third, less commonly-recognized mode — neutral-jing — which is just as valid as the other two. Neutral-jing involves actively choosing to wait, recognizing that you operate in a dynamic environment and that it will be different in the future, even if you "do" nothing. There are two potential benefits to waiting: 1. The conditions in your environment might change in a way favorable to you, and 2. You might gather more information, enabling you to make a better decision. Neutral-jing is appropriate when there isn't an urgent need to act; it's easy to miss this if our ontology of action only includes the two more active modes of attack and defend. As Napoleon is alleged to have said, "Never interrupt your enemy while he is making a mistake."^[https://quoteinvestigator.com/2010/07/06/never-interfere/] You can just wait.