Monday, February 27, 2012

Wisdom Achieved.

What is wisdom? This is quite an interesting question because even I can’t really explain what wisdom is. If we were to refer to the dictionary, it tells us that wisdom is an accumulated philosophic or scientific learning. If we were to abide by this definition, wisdom can be anything that enlightens us. It could be getting straight A’s on report cards or graduating college - most especially if you were to graduate with a Ph.D from a top university or quickly rising to the top of a great corporation. However, in my own opinion, I don’t necessarily consider these as the only source of gaining wisdom. Just because a student is getting straight A’s in school does not always mean that he/she is wise. For all we know, that certain student is just a very good student who follows directions very well or does what h/she is supposed to do. Therefore, it cannot be easily justified that one is wise just by judging from their report cards or whether they gained a Ph.D from a top university. Conversely, it can, indeed, be a stepping stone in determining if one truly possesses wisdom. Sure, there are IQ test that we take during the course of our lives, but that doesn't really mean that you know everything just because you scored high on a computer generated test. You see, intelligence does not always mean to be able to accumulate some type of learning from a simple textbook alone or by taking notes during a class. It is much more than that. There are a variety of ways in which wisdom can be gained----I believe that wisdom also comes from experiences and it is something that a person cannot take a test for. As a matter of fact, there is a fine line that separates common knowledge attained from school from knowledge attained based on personal experiences and both are equally important. Nevertheless, one does not need certain “qualifications” to have wisdom like how a person who was not able to go to school or finish school is automatically labeled as being “dumb, stupid, etc.” Like I have mentioned before, wisdom can be conquered through various ways not just by going to school.

I actually do have someone whom I consider rather wise and that is my dad. He’s not that old, but he has gone through numerous trials in life as well as being able to go to school. Thus, he does have many insights on both life and common knowledge.

Every mind was made for growth, for knowledge; and its nature is sinned against when it is doomed to ignorance. - William Ellery Channing

I find this quote by William Ellery Channing very endearing. Perhaps it’s the fact that what he says is very true; that our minds grow as we get older as well as the only reason that we can sin against it is when we choose to be ignorant. I agree with the saying that “the older you get, the wiser you get” because by the time you are in your late years, the amount of experiences you have gone through in your life is what will help you view the world and everything else around you in a much broader light. By that time, you have already matured into an adult as well as your mind. We grow old with our mind. That’s why I prefer asking older people like my grandparents or my parents for advice on life or whenever I’m going through a tough phase in my life because they know more than I do and that they have been in my shoes once in their life…

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