Meng: Youthful Folly has success. It is not I who seek the young fool; the young fool seeks me. Under the mountain, a spring wells up: the image of Youth. Thus the superior man fosters his character by thoroughness in all that he does.

Do you feel as though your mind is filled with a dense fog right now, unable to see the way forward? “Meng” represents a phase of youthful folly or enlightenment. This confusion isn’t a failure—it is actually the prelude to awakening.

Often, because we are afraid of being seen as “ignorant,” we arm ourselves with false certainty or repeatedly ask the same questions just to ease our anxiety. But true guidance appears only when you become still and admit “I don’t know.” The confused child within you needs patience, not judgment.

Practice embracing your own “not-knowing.” When you stop trying to force the mist to clear and instead face the uncertainty honestly, your innate power of learning is awakened. There may be danger in the fog, but there is also a clear spring. Let go of the need to be all-knowing and let your intuition lead you out of the mist.

Zhuangzi spoke of “Chaos” and Laozi spoke of the joy of leaving behind rigid learning. In Taoism, this state of “folly” is the best way to maintain a beginner’s heart. Don’t view ignorance as a shame; it is your most primal, vital state. When you admit you don’t know, new wisdom can enter. Don’t be bound by rigid frameworks. Walking slowly through the mist is its own kind of grace.