In a recent LinkedIn post, philosopher and author Jason Gregory reflected on how Taoist wisdom offers a path to inner Taoist resilience by aligning with the natural order rather than striving against it.

“The Tao cannot be felt through a form of over-the-top strict cultivation or striving,” Gregory wrote. “But rather in letting go of yourself and the negative tendency to control your life and the world.”

He emphasized that resilience, according to Taoist philosophy, arises not from willpower or resistance but from returning to one’s original nature and releasing the ego-driven sense of separation. Gregory argued that much of modern disconnection stems from social conditioning that distances us from the Tao—the nondual oneness that underlies all things.

“The sage has reversed their trajectory from separation (the ten thousand things) to the Tao (nondual oneness),” he continued. “This reversal of one’s trajectory is a perceptual shift… a complete reorientation of thinking and perceiving the world.”

Gregory positioned this inner shift as the foundation of authentic resilience, suggesting that true strength lies in surrendering to the natural flow rather than imposing one’s will.

Jason Gregory is a philosopher, writer, and teacher whose work explores Eastern wisdom and Western mind sciences. His upcoming book, The Tradition of Natural Taoism, is now available for pre-order.