Wu Wei

Non-action. Not laziness but doing without forcing. The sage acts by not acting, and everything gets done.

Wu wei is often translated as 'non-action,' but it does not mean doing nothing. It means acting in harmony with the natural flow of things, without struggle, without ego, without imposing your will on a situation that would resolve itself if you let it. A tree does not strain to grow. Water does not fight to find the lowest point. The skilled craftsman works so naturally that it looks effortless. Laozi applied this to politics: the best ruler is one whose people barely know he exists.