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? :)
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? :)