How have you acquired most of your wisdom?

tonyr said:
Although rare but it may come as a sudden revelation also.
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Yes. I have had an epiphany while reading allegories, parables, and even fables. I suppose though that it wouldn't have happened unless experience hadn't plowed the ground first. Realization of truth and wisdom seem to take root in soil prepared by experience. I guess both are sides of the same coin.
 
Guess I neglected to actually answer the question. With others I’d name experience and reading as sources but I’d argue that reflection deserves equal billing. Leaving room for insight and inspiration can be more productive than brainstorming and analysis at times.
 
tonyr said:
No, please. "We can know only that we know nothing. And that is the highest degree of human wisdom." is an exact statement of an author. Let's take it as stated. Thank you.
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You go right ahead and take it anyway you like, I’ve already stated my preference. I depend very little on authoritative sources. Until we make it our own it isn’t our wisdom.
 
tonyr said:
Just as a sick person is not in a position to diagnose his own illness, prescribe a remedy, ingest it, and become healthy so is a layperson as it relates to his wisdom. It's like a thief pretending to be a sheriff.

All a sick person can realize is that he is sick and seek help. So is a layperson seeking wisdom.

The best statement I have come across about wisdom is from a famous well-known author in the 19th century:

"We can know only that we know nothing. And that is the highest degree of human wisdom."

Thank you.
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I am guessing that it was a reflection of Socrates who introduced the older version.
I'm not quite clear on what his intended meaning was though, since we know millions of things. I can only guess that he may have meant that it's difficult to be absolutely certain of anything. But even that seems hard to accept. I'm probably missing the wisdom there, but it won't be the first time.
 
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tonyr said:
You are correct @bobcat.

"I know that I know nothing" is a saying derived from Plato's account of the Greek philosopher Socrates: "For I was conscious that I knew practically nothing..." This is technically a shorter paraphrasing of Socrates' statement, "I neither know nor think I know" (in Plato, Apology 21d).

(Even this is argued: The paraphrased saying, though widely attributed to Plato's Socrates in both ancient and modern times, actually occurs nowhere in Plato's works in precisely the form "I know I know nothing." Two prominent Plato scholars have recently argued that the claim should not be attributed to Plato's Socrates.)
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Yeah, not being a scholar, I am certainly not qualified to argue with one. I have been accused of being a wise guy, but even I know that wasn't a compliment.
 
Wisdom is not a thing or acquisition. Wisdom is a way of thinking resulting from gained knowledge, experience, living and being aware. Can a person be born wise? I don't think so but the capacity to be so could/would already be there to show up at sometime in that person's life.
 
tonyr said:
Being a senior forum I expected this platform to be a model of civility, respect, politeness, tolerance, goodwill, compassion and so on. I am sorry to say that the nastiness (no need to fake sugar coating) of some longtime members shocked me. [If because of my saying as I see it I am shunned or kicked out, I'd not consider it a loss. If not if I could contribute to the community in a good (no harm) way, it's be a good pastime in my old age.]

Each human being is good at heart (essence). Because of life full of circumstances we develop harmful attributes, which advertises how we are. It's no reflection of others. So do I believe and will continue to believe no matter what happens.

May all be friendly and at peace with themselves. Thank you.
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I am thinking that you took my comment the wrong way. I simply meant that, not being a scholar myself, I am certainly not qualified to argue with the scholars you mentioned. It's way above my head.

I wasn't trying to be sarcastic or nasty at all. Please accept my apology if I misled you with my comment. It wasn't directed at you at all.
 
tonyr said:
(1) The first comment about you being a wise guy is unwarranted (no matter who made it and it's an example of unneeded nastiness.)

(2) I took your comment as you wrote: That you are not a scholar (such humbleness is a highly desirable trait) and therefore you consider yourself not qualified to argue with others (in a forum, you are as qualified as any other member to argue, express your feelings, opinion, viewpoints, etc. about any subject).

Why is there so many misunderstandings in this forum? At our age having lived a long working life, we all deserve a bit of self-confidence, strength of our convictions, and demonstration of practical wisdom acquired by toiling long, sufferings uncountable ups/downs, and having survived many adverse circumstances and events.

More empowerment to all of us. Cheers.
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It would be remiss of me to not explain here. No one actually accused me of being a wise guy on SF, although it may sometimes fit. I was just making a joke, but as you can see, I did that rather poorly. I tend to have a somewhat twisted sense of humor, and it can easily be misunderstood. A wise guy on a thread about wisdom seems comical, so I threw it out there. Just a mistake on my part. 🥴
 
I think the only true wisdom I can lay claim to is that truly listening to my wife. The rest is remembering the things I learned by trial & error.
 

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