Wisdom
I have been thinking about a conversation with a group of friends, which turned to the topic of wisdom. Someone shook his head and solemnly intoned, "I am not a wise man." In the pause that followed, I should have disagreed and said "results speak for themselves." If you knew who it was, in what setting, and what he was doing at the time, you would know why this was obvious-- I don't know why his statement didn't elicit a laugh. What is "wisdom", if it's something he doesn't have?
Either A, he's gotta be doing something right, or B, his success is all due to an impossible degree of luck, or C, he's hiding the tragic consequences of foolishness, to a degree that would put a counter-intelligence professional to shame.
Most people are a combination of a little bit from all three. Everyone knows of people who don't have their shit together and of whom none of the three can apply. I'd go with the idea that my friend has got to be doing something right, over the other two. Does his statement speak of hidden tragedies? That is an area of complete ignorance on my part, and I suspect instead that he was just being unnecessarily humble.
I think A and B apply to me, but not C. I've lived a life almost completely devoid of pain and tragedy. I was compliant and safe. My mistakes are not that which I have done, but that which I left undone. I have no scars, physical or mental-- oh, OK, everybody has scars. But I have none that are comparable to most people's.
Here's the thing that's been on my mind: Until a few years ago, my life was not one-tenth as lived as his. With that in mind, even if some secret debacles have caused him to declare himself foolish... who is truly wiser? :)
Comments
eposia on Jan. 29, 2006 5:32 PM
Pretty much all of the people to whom *I* would apply the label "wise" would not take that label for themselves. In fact, that's usually a barometer of sorts for me; if someone has to tell me they're wise, my skepticism immediately increases on that subject. (In fact, my response when someone tries to attach that label to ME - I tell them to go wash their mouth out, hehe.)
How do you define wisdom?
trav13369 on Jan. 29, 2006 10:29 PM — I feel ya
People also consider me wise, as in coming to me for advice or as a sounding board. I also often think they are off their rocker thinking I have any wisdom (two divorces, daughter was in therapy due to fights with her mother post-divorce, stuck in job for life-you get the picture).
temujin9 on Jan. 29, 2006 8:55 PM — I'm probably quoting someone
There are none so wise as those who know they are foolish, and none so foolish as those who know they are wise.
IOW: It's not what you know that matters, it's what you know you don't know. Fools are sure they know it all; wise men know they don't.
rmeidaking on Jan. 29, 2006 9:02 PM
There's a reason for this: The wise person knows what foolishness one has to go through in order to discover wisdom. They are aware that however wise they may seem right now, another episode of foolishness may well be lurking just ahead. And they know themselves well enough to know they may well jump in where angels fear to tread.
Or: Wisdom, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.
palindromeg33k on Jan. 29, 2006 10:25 PM
"wisdom" is amongst the long list of words no one (including the dictionary)has EVER been able to define to my satisfaction.
therefore, to this day, even though i use the word in everyday speech, i cannot honestly say that i have any idea what wisdom ACTUALLY IS.
also on the list:
"love"
"reality"
"mind"
and a host of others.
palindromeg33k on Jan. 29, 2006 10:29 PM — also...
interestingly enough,
"the universe"
is going to have to go on the list as well.
i honestly couldn't tell you what it is except to say that it's the place where things exist.
this definition is obviously very very flawed.
matt-arnold on Jan. 30, 2006 3:45 AM — Re: also...
It's close. The universe simply means everything that exists.
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