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In my role as an artist I think about this line from the first book of Mozi sometimes: "Therefore, those who attempt what seems difficult to them will obtain what they desire, but few who aim at what they desire can avoid what they dislike." (W. P. Mei) (Mohism is a strange philosophy...)

Leiden Wolcloud

@wolcloud.works

In one breath Mozi encourages you to hold yourself to strict standards, to surround yourself with skilled people who will not flatter you. In another he says that music and ritual are useless drains on resources. Then he condemns offensive war as pointless and advocates for a form of universal love.

Leiden Wolcloud

@wolcloud.works

To me this aspect of Mozi feels like a grab bag of counterarguments to Confucianism more than a super cohesive philosophical system. Maybe it's no wonder Zhuangzi would later call out Mo Di and the Mohists as representing an excess of argumentative ability which confuses the mind.

8/10/26, 3:18 am0 reposts0 likes

Leiden Wolcloud

@wolcloud.works

I should caution against taking the text as gospel. These are not commandments, but artifacts of a living philosophical tradition. Zhuangzi integrates Confucian and Daoist ideas, Xunzi Confucian and Legalist. Much later, Chan/Zen formed from Buddhist and Daoist ideas.

Leiden Wolcloud

@wolcloud.works

As artists, at least the message from Mozi Book 1 still holds some water, I think. It's easy to make content you don't like for the sake of getting famous. Then when you don't get the traction you expected, you turn to the grift du jour, which doesn't address the real problem. It all wears you down.

Leiden Wolcloud

@wolcloud.works

Better to hold yourself to some standard and surround yourself with people who will do the same. Do projects you like for the love of the challenge. Don't worry about being called mediocre. And if you make it, don't worry about losing your spot. After all: "Position of the supreme is hard to keep."