going with the flow
Accepting what comes
Going with the flow means accepting circumstances as they come rather than resisting or trying to control them.
The image is of floating downstream rather than swimming against the current.
It can suggest easygoing flexibility Just go with the flow and see what happens or passive acceptance that borders on indifference He never makes decisions—just goes with the flow.
- nonresistanceRefusal to oppose force
- riverLarge flowing watercourse
- streamSteady continuous flow
- adaptabilityAbility to adjust readily
- flexibilityAbility to adapt easily
conformity · current · ride the wave · ease · take it easy · easy does it · mellow out · no worries · Taoism · integration · path of least resistance · serenity · calmness · detachment · equanimity · let it be · spontaneity · acquiescence
- improvisingad-lib, ad-libbing, riff, riffing, jamming
- wuweieffortlessness, naturalness, spontaneity
going with the flowswimming upstream
Moving against water flow
bucking the trend · pushing back · resisting · rebelling · nonconformity
going with the flowrigidity
State of being unbending
digging in one's heels · stubbornness · intransigence · obstinacy · holding firm
going with the flowtaking charge
Assuming leadership or control
taking the reins · asserting oneself · calling the shots · taking initiative · micromanaging
going, gone, with, flow, flowed, flowing, flower, overflow, overflowing