The Tao: Redefining Heroism in the Twenty-First Century Gergana Gocheva College

In the twenty-first century it is almost impossible not to be caught up in the trap of technology and social media; thus, it really takes a great amount of bravery and heroism to be able to live in the moment. We become more and more connected to the material world while drifting further away from spiritual values which make us truly heroic. Society becomes more and more complicated, impatient and selfish each day, without realizing that to be able to experience life to the fullest a person has to live by three simple, yet vital tenets of Taoism: compassion, simplicity and patience.

Modern society puts more emphasis on the material world and self-centeredness, than on the spiritual values and compassion for others. Every day we become more alienated from nature and from one another, estranging ourselves from the Tao, believing that being more independent makes us brave and heroic. Instead of helping our environment, we become more hostile towards nature and people, which takes us away from the Tao, which teaches us that we have to “trust our natural responses” (Mitchell 23). The social scientist Dr. You- Sheng Li writes in his essay “Taoist Philosophy for the 21st Century”, that “wealth-building society is good at economy,...