Uselessness

[bkadoctaj]

Found this quotation in Zhuangzi:

"The mountain by its trees weakens itself. The grease which ministers to the fire fries itself. The cinnamon tree can be eaten, and therefore it is cut down. The varnish tree is useful, and therefore incisions are made in it. All men know the advantage of being useful, but no one knows the advantage of being useless."

What do you all think uselessness is? Is there a thing that is "completely useless"?

[bommer09]

Complete Uselessness would be complete harmony with nature and the universe. It would be perfect balance and equilibrium. And I don't think it means completely useless but more of like a balance between work and relaxation.

[scoobydooby67]

sounds like Lao Tsu.

living like a leaf on the river, not fighting the current, nor speeding downstream, only existing.

i think to be useless would be to simply, be.

[AlphaQ]

I do not see how anything physical can be useless. Everything at its deepest level can at least be converted to energy which can be used by something else in some way or another.

Of course, the lone exception is the Detroit Lions franchise...