The Forgetting of Wisdom
http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/the-forgetting-of-wisdom/2008/10/12/1223749846543.html
How true is this article!
I have come to realise through uni studies that it is not philosophy I am passionate about, although I thought I was. What I am passionate about is life, wisdom and truth. Philosophy is just reasoned analysis of the aforementioned, which is great, but more often than not in my opinion ends up being merely academic.
Back to the Courtenay article, then, he has what I would call a realist approach to wisdom. Why is it a realist approach? Because his description of it is what happens in reality. I don't normally read the finance section of newspapers, but I read an interesting thing about how when the US was on top of the economic world (10 years ago or something), they used to give advice to and tut-tut the Chinese for their supposed poor banking strategies. Now look what has happened! China is well on the way up, and the US is well on the way down. To me, what happened there is analagous to any of us when we give advice: we are on top of life (or at least we think we are), and we tut-tut those who we see as being beneath us. Really, there is no wisdom that can shield us from pain and suffering, from bad times. We are not nearly that powerful that we can be above fate. What can we do, then? The "wise" among us will hang on and just enjoy the ride. Feeling everything, being open: laughing and being joyous when things are good, and rallying together and supporting each other when things are bad. And being very cautious about those who offer hope in the non-committal form of free advice.
How true is this article!
I have come to realise through uni studies that it is not philosophy I am passionate about, although I thought I was. What I am passionate about is life, wisdom and truth. Philosophy is just reasoned analysis of the aforementioned, which is great, but more often than not in my opinion ends up being merely academic.
Back to the Courtenay article, then, he has what I would call a realist approach to wisdom. Why is it a realist approach? Because his description of it is what happens in reality. I don't normally read the finance section of newspapers, but I read an interesting thing about how when the US was on top of the economic world (10 years ago or something), they used to give advice to and tut-tut the Chinese for their supposed poor banking strategies. Now look what has happened! China is well on the way up, and the US is well on the way down. To me, what happened there is analagous to any of us when we give advice: we are on top of life (or at least we think we are), and we tut-tut those who we see as being beneath us. Really, there is no wisdom that can shield us from pain and suffering, from bad times. We are not nearly that powerful that we can be above fate. What can we do, then? The "wise" among us will hang on and just enjoy the ride. Feeling everything, being open: laughing and being joyous when things are good, and rallying together and supporting each other when things are bad. And being very cautious about those who offer hope in the non-committal form of free advice.
posted by Banana Mango at 10/17/2008 06:52:00 pm
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