I’ve talked many times about the importance of wisdom, of gaining understand of the world around you and how it works. It’s one of the highest and most valuable things that you can pursue but it isn’t something that necessarily comes easy. Like most good things it’s something that requires work and effort to get at and to gain. And hard work and dedication are two things that go against the lower aspects of human nature and thus why so few possess either.
But you should never measure yourself by what the masses do or don’t do. You should measure yourself by what is right, what is good, and what is true. When looking at gaining wisdom there are a couple of different methods that one can use to facilitate it’s acquirement. Granted I don’t think it’s entirely quantifiable but I still think there are certain actions and ways of living that make one predisposed to becoming wiser and it has to do with more than simply time on this earth or mistakes made.
There are plenty who blunder from one mistake from the next and have done so for a great many years yet possess little to no wisdom. Likewise there are those that are very learned and have made great study yet also possess little to no wisdom. Meaning that there is another factor to it beyond simply life experience and study. So how does one go about acuiring wisdom and making it part of one’s life?
Wisdom, Greater Than Knowledge
Wisdom is something that is beyond knowledge. There are those that possesses a great amount of knowledge but still possess little to no wisdom as we talked about before. Yet at the same time those that are wise tend to also be knowledgeable. So one could say well maybe it’s a certain type of knowledge. And I would say that this is true, and also not true, depending on one’s definition of certain knowledge. I don’t think there’s any particular type of knowledge (say biology, sociology, philosophy, theology, etc.) or anything else that makes one wise.
It’s more of having a way to put all of that together in a functional way, putting knowledge together in a functional and usable way that leads to wisdom. As well as being able to know what lines up with reality and what does not. There are many “simple” farmers who possess more wisdom than those in universities, government, media, and other “high places” ever could hope to. In The Bible it says that the fear (meaning awe/respect) of God is the foundation of knowledge and I think there’s a lot too this when understood correctly.
We need something to put knowledge in context to, in order to make any use of it and I think the natural/primal order serves this function quite well (or God if you prefer). It gives something to place knowledge in context to leading to understanding and wisdom. But how does that help you gain more of it? Sure understanding the natural way of things helps but how do you even come to that conclusion in the first place? We have to go deeper to see what leads to this.
Pattern Recognition As The Source Of Wisdom?
Which leads to pattern recognition. When we look at tradition what it is (in the best sense) is taking the patterns that people have seen throughout time and codifying them so that others can build upon it. For example early man discovered that killing each other (within a tribe) without punishment leads to the destruction of the tribe. Therefore murder has been punishable in the vast majority of societies throughout time and become part of the tradition. From pattern recognition.
Likewise look at what produces healthy families and long term happiness. A strong and wise man leading the unit, a chaste and virtuous woman, and children who are respectful. This unit makes for effective societies. Something understood and codified in tradition from pattern recognition. This isn’t to say tradition is perfect, because being human it isn’t, rather than through pattern recognition tradition (and things like it) lead to wisdom and right living.
This works with anything. Let’s take lower level things like making money or attracting women. Through pattern recognition you can see things like women don’t like weak nice guys who worship them even though many will say they will. Likewise you’ll be able to see that going to college, getting eyeball deep in debt, and kissing ass won’t get you the six figures that’ll soon be needed to survive anymore despite people telling you otherwise. It also works on higher level things like sociology and why the world is the way it is.
Recognize Patterns, Gain Wisdom, Become Free
It’s said that the truth will set you free, and that’s true. What’s not said is that the truth isn’t always easy to grasp and requires wisdom (and pattern recognition) to do so in the first place. Not to mention that the truth is often harsh, brutal, ugly, and unpleasant. But that’s how the world works. Like I said pattern recognition applies to everything. From getting a date to having a healthy family to understand who controls the governments of the world and more. It’s applicable to every level of existance.
So gain wisdom and recognize patterns. Look for connections between things. Try to see beyond what’s presented to you. Think! Not because it’s easy but because it’s hard and will cause you to strain and struggle. But that’s how you open your eyes and see the world around you in all it’s horror. But that’s also how you become free and how you can become wise and live the best life possible, in the trues sense of the phrase. So gain wisdom, recognize patterns, be prepared to stomach some horrors, but be better off because of it.
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-Charles Sledge
