Project Vision 21

The well-known thought by Lao Tzu, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” (Tao Te Ching, Chapter 64), is often seen as a call to overcome “analysis paralysis” and to decide to act as a way to start the process of reaching a goal or completing a project. But, as with all expressions of wisdom, it’s not only about that.

In this teaching, Lao Tzu emphasizes simplicity, humility, and the importance of beginning with small, deliberate actions to achieve great things, as if saying that even the longest and most challenging tasks have a starting point and that every step, however small, is essential to a larger journey.

At the same time, upon reflection, we realize that this teaching extends far beyond a simple and almost obvious piece of advice. It actually leads us to question whether the journey or path has a meaning, a purpose, or a direction that can be known in advance; if the path is permanent and moves in the right direction; and if each step really brings us forward.

However, neither the first interpretation (motivational self-help) nor the second (a calculating mindset focused on results) aligns with the idea Lao Tzu presents; they merely reveal our way of thinking and acting in a world steeped in technoscience and hyper-commercialization, where everything is reduced (as Byung-Chul Han says) to “projects” and “creativity.”

Let’s look at it this way: in classical physics (Newton), you can calculate the direction and speed of a billiard ball if it’s struck in a certain way, with a certain force, and from a certain angle. But in that context, neither the ball, the pool table, nor the cue stick change after the strike. In contrast, in the context of life, everything changes all the time.

What would happen if, with each strike, the billiard balls changed size or color, or the table changed dimensions and new pockets appeared, or the cue stick grew longer or shorter? If that happened, there would be no way to calculate in advance the outcome of striking a ball. And that is what happens in life: you cannot calculate it in advance.

This is why we must recognize that at the heart of Lao Tzu’s teachings is the notion that the Dao, or the Way, can be understood as an organic and dynamic presence, not as a strictly defined and controlled path. (Perhaps it is worth remembering that the early Christians referred to themselves as “those of the Way.”)

From this Taoist perspective, we might suggest that the path is already present, even if it is not immediately visible, and that it is not necessary to fully understand or control the Dao before embarking on the journey.

Creation, in Taoist sense, is something that happens in the moment, not something you can fully project or plan for. In essence, it’s not about rigid plans or calculations, but rather about opening ourselves to the experience, knowing that the path emerges as we move forward.