Zooming Out: Wisdom

“With much wisdom comes much sorrow, with much knowledge much pain”

“The thoughts of the wise turn to the house of mourning, but the thoughts of a fool to the house of feasting”

“Do not be over-wise”

 

The grandeur of Wisdom makes your centrality seem more and more… absurd.

In Psychology 101 you start to learn about the Stages of Development. In the early stages, ‘the me’ is incredibly dominant. To the point where you believe you ARE unique… a diamond in the rocks, per say.  This of course changes as you ‘grow.’ You slowly begin to realize that you aren’t really that unique, that you aren’t some precious stone amongst the heap of gravel. At this point in development, something usually happens, because this realization isn’t necessarily the greatest of news flashes. Often rebellion, depression, or some major shift in attitude (good or bad) follows suit; “adolescence” perhaps..

I used to think of wisdom as being fairly connected to knowledge, I would say: knowledge is the fuel to wisdom, or that enough knowledge matures into wisdom, or wisdom is the appropriate application of knowledge at the right time and the right place. BUT, I have started to think differently as of late. I don’t think this is the real message or the Core of Sage-ism.  In short, wisdom is like… the Google Earth Effect. Let me explain.

It would be difficult to speak of Wisdom without wondering why mourning, sorrow and pain seem to walk hand in hand with Her. Major themes in Proverbs, Psalms and other poetical books, such as the ancient wisdom of Egypt (Amenamope) and Mesopotamia, insist on the acquisition of wisdom as the most noble of pursuits. Proverbs says that the world was built upon her and that it is only by seeking wisdom with all your heart that you will Begin to Understand.  - So there is a definitely something to this quest…

I think the more you touch and taste, the more you see and feel, the more you listen and discover, the more you hurt and suffer, the more you fail and succeed… basically the more you live and learn, THE more you see the Big Picture… as the picture grows your individual significance gets proportionally smaller and smaller. You stop being the center of the universe and become one star amongst millions. The smaller you get the bigger others become. Wisdom is the distance one takes from him or her self – Wisdom is zooming out with Google Earth – Wisdom is realizing that you are nothing more than one Reference among billions.

BUT having said this, I believe the results are wonderful and loving… but at the same time painful, lonely and especially aggravating.  You begin to care about others, especially their feelings and well-being, because they are like you, as big, as bright, as important, and as valuable. (And as much as honesty remains a noble trait, sensitivity rockets up to contest… as it should.) Ignorance is bliss because it’s easy to simply care about yourself, about your world, your opinions, your desires, etc. Wisdom MAKES you smaller, Makes you less certain about yourself, Makes you Humble, and makes everyone else in contrast, Bigger.

To love and to be loved. This should be a unbalanced formula… where the act of loving does not depend on being loved. As said in previous posts; this is the formula to paradise – Wisdom… the Instrument.

I am having a hard time writing my thoughts… too many interconnections. it seems like such common sense – and it is, but somehow it makes so many things clearer. selfishness is such a retarding trait/characteristic. like a drug. temporary fix that just leaves holes. seems good on the outside and the results are immediate… but draining..

 

I THINK…