Coming out of hibernation
It was a lovely break, and I needed it! Thanks for being patient with me. I spent the past two months creatively BLANK. I petted the cats and watched TV and shopped and wrapped presents. I told myself I’d do something creative. I did nothing creative.
I think conversations with creative people helps trigger my own creativity.
In that light, let’s try kicking things off with a bit of philosophy:
What is wisdom?
Try to define it in your own words, without resorting to synonyms for wisdom (judgment, knowledge, etc). I’m curious about people’s personal twists on this.
My definition is below.
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- The ability to be happy in a civilization
- The ability to make the kindest actions regardless of outside pressures
- The ability to make crueler actions for the greater good
- Tempering every action with love
- Tempering love with sanity
- The ability to be emotionally and situationally balanced, or to regain it quickly
What was your definition?
Fresh Hell 
In my mind’s eye, wisdom in the ability to make informed decisions by conscientiously weighing the consequences of those decisions.
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Very scientific! Why am I not surprised 😀
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Welcome back! Sounds like quite a nice break.
What is wisdom? Interesting question.
I think of wisdom as both knowing and taking the optimal path to one’s goal. That includes when the optimal path is to do nothing because doing anything would not work or might worsen the situation. By “optimal”, I mean the path that best balances whatever relevant factors are involved.
For instance, there might be a trade-off between a quick way to something that produces relatively low-quality results and a slow way to do something that produces relatively high-quality results. Wisdom would be picking the path that, under the circumstances, is the best for accomplishing one’s goal. Which path is best (wisest) could easily change if the circumstances change.
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Interesting! A very action-based definition.
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About 25 years ago, I read something in Barry Lopez’s book, Arctic Dreams, that changed how I regarded wisdom. He mentioned that the Inuit word for “wise person” literally translates as “one who makes wisdom visible through their actions.” The more I thought about that, Sarah, the more I came to believe the Inuit are fundamentally onto something.
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Lovely to see you again! Hope you had a lovely New Year & a decent break to relax & recharge 🙂
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Thank you! I do feel a little bit recharged. Hopefully it lasts 😀
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Quite right Sarah re the break. I did the same and am much the better for it! Good to see you back!
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Thank you! It feels good to be writing again.
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I kind of feel like wisdom is the ability to observe where you are now, where you were then, and to see that those things that were once difficult are easier now, to perceive learning, and to harness that when making decisions. I just made myself yawn saying all that, but the “man, that used to be so difficult” thing happens a lot these days.
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I think aging is a wonderful thing for this very reason. Why does it get such a bad rap?? I’d give up healthy joints for peace of mind anyday
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Sarah,
It’s good you’re back, my friend! I wish I had a working definition of wisdom, but I’m still trying to embrace The effing Serenity Prayer, that prickly porcupine bastard! Maybe if I can ever work that out, I’ll be able to figure out wisdom. *sigh*
Hugs and Happy New Decade! Mona
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The serenity prayer is a good philosophy!
Big hugs and happy decade to you too ❤
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Hi; Glad you’re back. I missed you.
I think wisdom is having the good sense to know I’m not wise enough to define the term in any meaningful way.
When I was in a British Lit course in grad school manymany years ago, I wrote a paper on E.M. Forster’s “A Passage to India.” The prof gave me a B-plus and wrote “Not exactly profound, but lucid and sensitive.” I bristled at that as a 21-year-old—obviously so scarred that the memory remains vivid.
But now, with the wisdom accrued over the decades, I think lucidity and sensitivity are A-ok.
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Ahaha, nice dodge, you philosopher.
I actually know what you mean. That’s why it’s fun to see all the different definitions; for me, this isn’t so much a way to determine the meaning of wisdom as it is a good way to learn what some of my fellow writers really value, and what they struggle with.
I have to say, your professor is pretty strict if he’s grading on profundity. Lucidity is a rare gift… so few of us are truly lucid… heh. Lucidity combined with sensitivity makes for very balanced perception.
❤
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I was wondering about an ulterior motive, but I wasn’t wise enough to figure it out.
You’re very kind, and you’ve persuaded me to drop my non-profundity baggage after all these years. Pfffft—it’s gone.
It just occurred to me that I could reread the damn book and see if I appreciate it on a different level, And then I can give myself an “A.”
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