I’ve started multiple posts regarding the topic of wisdom, only to come up blank. Not so much because of a lack of things to say, but finding myself coming to dead ends as I teased out the lines of thought I was pursuing. The topic of wisdom long proceeds me and will be around long after I’m gone, hence, the fact that I’ve written little is of no consequence. After all, my intention when posting my thoughts on this topic is to explore the nature of wisdom, not to tell you what it is. This said I think the following is worth considering.
One approach to discovering the nature of wisdom might be to start by looking at sayings and events that seem to portray it and attempt to see what it is that they have in common that gives them the appearance of being wise. To start off this exercise (so to speak) below is a list of sayings I believe some, even many, might consider wise:
- When/Where it comes to children, pick your battles.
- Measure twice cut once.
- You know it when you see it.
- There’s no fool like an old fool.
- A fool and his money are soon parted.
- Teach children how to think, not what to think.
I could go on, but I think you get the point, Also, if none of the above sayings exemplify wisdom, you can still do the exercise. Just think of sayings you’ve heard that you’ve considered wise and start seeing if you can find some characteristic, or characteristics, they seem to have in common.
One last thing that has long been nagging at me regarding the topic of wisdom is, do you think those honored with the title of being wise, think of themselves as wise?