nonaction
Choosing to abstain
Nonaction is the deliberate choice not to act, or the state of not taking action.
It differs from inaction in that nonaction often implies a conscious decision rather than mere passivity or neglect.
In Eastern philosophy, particularly Taoism, nonaction (translating the Chinese *wu wei*) represents a principle of effortless action—going with the natural flow rather than forcing outcomes.
Sometimes nonaction is the wisest response to provocation.
Resistance to altered motion
- stagnationAbsence of flow or progress
- idlenessState of doing nothing
- dormancySuspended biological activity
- passivityState of non-resistance
standstill · stasis · immobility · neglect · omission · abstention · restraint · forbearance
Policy of staying uninvolved
- neutralityState of taking sides
- isolationismPolicy avoiding foreign alliances
- abstentionFormal refusal to vote
- pacifismAntiwar moral stance
nonresistance · boycott · strike · sit-in · protest · noncooperation · sanctions · embargo
Separation or emotional uninvolvement
- acceptanceConsent to receive
- surrenderCease resistance, yield
- mindfulnessAwareness of the present
- equanimityUnshakable mental steadiness
nonresistance · effortlessness · flow · yielding · contemplation · meditation · presence · stillness
inertia
Resistance to altered motion
- stagnationAbsence of flow or progress
- idlenessState of doing nothing
- dormancySuspended biological activity
passivity · standstill · stasis · immobility · neglect · omission · abstention · restraint · forbearance · nonintervention
nonintervention
Policy of staying uninvolved
- neutralityState of taking sides
- isolationismPolicy avoiding foreign alliances
- abstentionFormal refusal to vote
pacifism · nonresistance · boycott · strike · sit-in · protest · noncooperation · sanctions · embargo · diplomacy
detachment
Separation or emotional uninvolvement
- acceptanceConsent to receive
- surrenderCease resistance, yield
- mindfulnessAwareness of the present
equanimity · nonresistance · effortlessness · flow · yielding · contemplation · meditation · presence · stillness · being
- nonparticipationnonparticipation, noninvolvement, noninterference, nonintervention, abstention
- Six Dynastiesbamboo grove, epitaphs
nonactionintervention
Purposeful involvement to change course
action · engagement · involvement · participation · initiative
nonactionproductivity
Output relative to input
work · labor · industry · production · accomplishment