Ziran in Taoism names behavior that arises “of itself,” fitted to one’s nature and the situation rather than forced by self-conscious pretense (Zhuangzi, trans. Watson, 1968). Self-Determination Theory (SDT) in psychology shows that when the basic needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness are supported, motivation becomes more integrated, vital, and durable (Ryan & Deci, 2000, 2017). Read together, Taoist naturalness ≈ an autonomy-supportive ecology: fewer controlling scripts, more values-congruent action, and skillful scaffolding that lets effective behavior “flow” from person–context fit.