• Noble Dust
    7.8k
    I used to think I was wise; I was the sunday-school devotee; the youth pastor took to me the most because I was passive and hungry to learn. I seemed to have a certain existential knack at an early age. A lot has happened since then. Now I don't know what wisdom is.

    I'm just relaying this little personal story so @Michael doesn't delete the thread for "low post quality". In reality, all I want to ask is: "What is wisdom?"
  • unenlightened
    8.7k
    Something to love, not something to attain.
  • bloodninja
    272
    Is wisdom a religious concept? I know Aristotle in the Nicomachean Ethics discussed the difference between practical wisdom and theoretical wisdom; well at least that is how his terms were translated. But this seems different to what we ordinarily understand wisdom to mean perhaps? Do we not usually attribute to the wise a special mystical knowledge? Is wisdom a Christian concept? Are there any wise men now that God is dead? I have no idea but an interesting topic nonetheless.
  • Streetlight
    9.1k
    Wisdom is anti-philosophy; thought reduced to platitudes and ready-made issuances.
  • Noble Dust
    7.8k


    Idk. Are you bringing up God because I mentioned Sunday school?
  • Noble Dust
    7.8k


    Because philosophy means "the love of wisdom"? Seem's lamely prosaic.
  • bloodninja
    272
    no not at all. I just feel that the word has strong religious connotations.
  • Shawn
    12.6k
    I don't think you can be wise and immature at the same time. Or can you?
  • Noble Dust
    7.8k


    If "wisdom" = "thought redused to platitudes and ready-made issuances", then I agree.

    But, you're defining wisdom in this way, by degrees. That's a bizarre definition of wisdom, and also an awesome use of Duchamp's "ready-made".
  • Noble Dust
    7.8k


    Philosophy, "the love of wisdom", has strong religious connotations? Now I'm starting to agree with you...
  • Noble Dust
    7.8k


    I don't think you can. But maturity is often misunderstood. What do you think, Posty?
  • Mayor of Simpleton
    661
    I tend not to post much anymore, as I consider that to be the "wiser choice", but I'm a bit bored at the moment (a rare occurance in my life) and I've some time to play.

    Wisdom can mean quite a few things, such as the accumulated knowledge over many year (of course... forgetting to define what is "knowledge" and how many years is supposed to be "many years"), the ability to seek clearly and quickly the inner relationships between varous factors (a rather vague notion at best) or (even worse) the teachings of ancient men... back when things were simple and less stressful (as if). :roll:

    My take is that wisdom is something attributed by others upon someone who usually didn't bother to pursue it and that this poor person who has been attributed to be full of wisdom needs to now appeal this limitation of the standards of measure to this cult following to maintain the status of being full of wisdom (which results in them being full of something else).

    If one goes about with the self-attributed notion of being wise or having wisdom this might well be the indication of a strong narcissistic personality disorder. (more than not this is someone who has something to sell)

    When in doubt and especially if this is a "low quality post" (I kind of doubt that it's low quality) resort to pop-philosophy like in the lyrics of "Sunscreen" regarding advice and hinting toward wisdom:

    "Be careful whose advice you buy, but
    be patient with those who supply it
    Advice is a form of nostalgia
    dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off
    painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth
    But trust me on the sunscreen"

    Meow!

    G
  • Shawn
    12.6k


    It all seems like a conceptual leap to me. Kind of like climbing a ladder and them throwing it away once done with.

    But, yes, when someone is mature you tend to apprehend the situation bona fide.

    Though, I wouldn't throw away the ladder. It might still have it's use. Haha.
  • unenlightened
    8.7k
    Because philosophy means "the love of wisdom"? Seem's lamely prosaic.Noble Dust

    Did you expect to be given wisdom as a response?

    While one who sings with his tongue on fire. Gargles in the rat race choir. Bent out of shape from society's pliers. Cares not to come up any higher. But rather get you down in the hole. That he's in. — His Bobness

    There you go.
  • Noble Dust
    7.8k
    I tend not to post much anymore, as I consider that to be the "wiser choice",Mayor of Simpleton

    Same here! I find that when I open my mouth, un-wise things come out. I've made a fool of myself here more than once.

    Wisdom can mean quite a few things, such as the accumulated knowledge over many year (of course... forgetting to define what is "knowledge" and how many years is supposed to be "many years"), the ability to seek clearly and quickly the inner relationships between varous factors (a rather vague notion at best) or (even worse) the teachings of ancient men... back when things were simple and less stressful (as if). :roll:Mayor of Simpleton

    So you don't know what wisdom is, it sounds like?

    If one goes about with the self-attributed notion of being wise or having wisdom this might well be the indication of a strong narcissistic personality disorder. (more than not this is someone who has something to sell)Mayor of Simpleton

    I don't know what wisdom is, but I know that you and I don't have it. Does that make me narcissistic? I really don't care.
  • Noble Dust
    7.8k


    Yes, because I asked "What is wisdom?"
  • Noble Dust
    7.8k


    You seem to be covering all your bases, so I don't know. What do you think wisdom is?
  • Shawn
    12.6k


    I think Greg already used the phrase I would. Accumulated (hand picked) knowledge. This implies some metaphysics about how do you go about "hand.picking" knowledge.
  • Mayor of Simpleton
    661
    Does that make me narcissistic?Noble Dust

    I have far too small of a sample size to make any decision.

    I really don't care.Noble Dust

    Good! I feel it would be "unwise" for me to make any guess.

    Meow!

    G
  • unenlightened
    8.7k
    Yes, because I asked "What is wisdom?"Noble Dust

    And you expect something other than folly? I don't believe you.
  • Noble Dust
    7.8k


    Greg is @Mayor of Simpleton, yeah?

    Accumulation of knowledge... that's definitely something. What is knowledge? Accumulation seems obvious.
  • Streetlight
    9.1k
    "For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent." (1 Corinthians 1:19-20)

    Which would be nice if it doesn't then go on to juxtapose this with the Wisdom of God.
  • Noble Dust
    7.8k
    Does that make me narcissistic?
    — Noble Dust

    I have far too small of a sample size to make any decision.
    Mayor of Simpleton

    Strange quote to choose out of our exchange so far!

    Again, I'm an idiot. Ask @TimeLine or @StreetlightX for evidence.
  • Shawn
    12.6k


    To idiotize the answer it seems to be justified true belief. That seems like it makes things more complicated than necessary? Who decides these things after all?
  • Noble Dust
    7.8k
    And you expect something other than folly? I don't believe you.unenlightened

    I don't believe you either. Or, rather, I do.
  • Noble Dust
    7.8k
    "For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent." (1 Corinthians 1:19-20)

    Which would be nice if it doesn't then go on to juxtapose this with the Wisdom of God.
    StreetlightX

    It can also be interpreted as the wisdom of STLX. Who knows?
  • Noble Dust
    7.8k


    "who decides these things after all" is a corollary to this thread, isn't it? I don't know who decides these things, other than idiots like us.
  • Shawn
    12.6k


    The feels are real today.
  • Mayor of Simpleton
    661
    This implies some metaphysics about how do you go about "hand.picking" knowledge.Posty McPostface

    That kind of makes me giggle.

    I tend to regard metaphysics to actually imply "MEphysics", as in... all things considered the entire universe and all the happening within the universe are simply all about me.

    I believe I'd refer to it as a hand picked hermetically sealed worldview where one starts with the central answers then subsequently forming questions in respect to these pre-assumed central answers; thus creating the illusion of critical thinking.

    (it's posts like these that makes me wonder if it is wise of me to post much of anything any more? :wink: )

    Meow!

    G
  • Mayor of Simpleton
    661
    Strange quote to choose out of our exchange so far!

    Again, I'm an idiot. Ask TimeLine or @StreetlightX for evidence.
    Noble Dust

    Really?

    Cool!

    btw... exactly what am I the "mayor" of? :joke:

    Meow!

    G
  • Noble Dust
    7.8k


    Posty, you're not an idiot. I'm an idiot, if anything. You are very pure in your philosophical enquiry, whereas my own enquiry has a perverse color to it; I mean that. I'm interested in truth to an unhealthy degree. So, those feels you feel are right, within your own self. Feel them. Disagree with me. Breath out.
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