Viewing Thread:
"What's Wise?"

Have you ever found yourself at a crossroads where there's an easy path that rolls downhill, there's a difficult path which winds uphill, and there's a sensible path which is straight and narrow. Something tells you that you should take the more difficult path, but the easier path is more tempting because you can breeze downhill in a wave of carefree indulgence. And then there's the sensible path, which is the road that most around you advise you to take.

Have you ever found yourself in this position? In two/three minds, not knowing which path to take, not knowing which way to turn.

Wisdom, its a strange thing. Its subjective nature means that different people have different views on what it means to be wise.

-Some will say: "Live For The Moment". Adopt the hedonistic approach. Why dwell on the future when the vision you have of your future may never happen. Even the best made plans can go wrong. Be happy-go-lucky. Live dangerously. This is wisdom.

-But then others will say: "Plan For The Future". Don't be a reckless fool, be sensible. One day you'll look back on your life and wonder where it's gone. Think about your place in the scheme of things more diligently. Hard work, self-sacrifice and realistic plans will bring you happiness in the long run. This is wisdom.

-And then there are those who will say: "Follow Your Dreams". Forget other people's limited expectations. Do what is deeply important to you. Do what you think is right. Even if your dream seems impossible, follow it. If you don't you know you'll end up looking back full of regret. If you fail, at least it'll be glorious failure. This is wisdom.

Someone once said to me that "a wise man is a man who keeps good advice to himself", but the person who told me this turned out to be a cynical back-stabber.

It's easy to be wise after the event. Hindsight isn't wisdom. But foresight is different. To have a clear-minded dose of foresight, now that is wisdom. So What's Wise?

I'd say that being wise is having the foresight to make good decisions. If you can foresee how different paths will turn out, then you should be able to work them into each other. See the bigger picture.

In the future I see robots made of teflon and winged cats.

Nope, today I am looking to the future.

I see sky cars and jetpacks and food in pill shape.

Goatboy wrote:
> I believe Bell said wisdom, not the meaning of life?

Read further back.

Firebrand wrote:

>
> Surely wisdom is to keep your options open and to keep your fingers
> not in all of the pies, but those pies that can best benefit you both
> in the long and short term.


To you, maybe.

Wisdom is...well, it's subjective. What's wise to one is not wise to another. I mean, these threads are good fun for debate and for finding out others point of view, but anyone who thinks that they can come up with a universal definition of wisdom...well, that person is p!ssing into a nuclear wind.

I believe Bell said wisdom, not the meaning of life?

Practical Magic wrote:
> Now this most definitely is not wisdom.

Oh, sorry, I forgot that the meaning of life was to spread love to my fellow man, strive for the perfection of myself and those around me and look for everyo opportunity to make life a better experience for all.

pff

Wisdom is a cigar called Hamlet.

No, that's happiness...damn

Firebrand wrote:
> Given that the only meaning to life is to creat more of it, I really
> don't see how wisdom comes into it.

Now this most definitely is not wisdom.

VenomByte wrote:
> Wisdom is the ability to understand the meaning of life.

Given that the only meaning to life is to creat more of it, I really don't see how wisdom comes into it.

Black Glove wrote:
> Spontaneous yet prudent
> Spontaneous yet prudent
>
> It just keeps ricocheting about within my skull.
>
> Spontaneous yet prudent
> Spontaneous yet prudent
>
> It's like jumping out of a plane [spontaneous] yet always remembering
> to strap on a parachute [prudent].

You learn well my young apprentice.