Wisdom Comes Slowly

Wisdom takes work, serious work, and sometimes, even when we think we have it, it gets proven to us just how little we actually have. Wisdom is one of the cardinal virtues of Stoicism, one of the hardest ones to attain, and it takes a lifetime of openness, desire, and drive to try to get there. In a great book that I just finished reading, the fourth in a series by Ryan Holiday (linked on my main page), he goes deep into what it takes to move towards attaining wisdom. Its not just about accumulating knowledge, anyone can do that, but using that knowledge to both improve ourselves and consequently those around us. Its not enough to just have our noses in a book, although that is definitely a part of it. Its also how we use that knowledge. I am a lover of books and knowledge myself. For a period there, probably about my early 30’s, I thought I knew a lot, and little did I actually know. Even now, with a wider perspective, a wider knowledge base gained from interacting with others and reading even more books, I think I am wiser. Yet, I still have such a long way to go. I’ll be the first to admit that I can be impetuous at times, quick to action, and yet slow at times to contemplate how those actions may actually pan out. I’ve been that way since I was little, and it seems some things are harder to change than others. While I think I’ve made progress, I am still learning about myself even in my forties and still have a long way to go.

I have a learned a lot over the years, have shared a lot of knowledge with others, yet I am still working on myself. I am still learning how to temper my words so they don’t affect those around me. I can still be brash and abrasive, and while not intentional, I do still affect others around me in a negative way at times. Its not right, but I will be the first to admit that I will always be a work in progress, always striving to improve myself. I want nothing more than to help those around me, even though it seems at times that I am doing the opposite. I can’t go back and change what I’ve done, I can only move forward doing a better job. How many of us have stopped working on ourselves and stopped learning about the world and gaining a deeper perspective about everything? I love to learn, and that is part of what drives me to read so much, to follow the threads I find in books and follow them wherever they lead.

Sometimes as we get older, we get stuck in our ways, become intractable, and refuse to change course. It is at this point that we must truly look at ourselves and honestly ask if we are being open and accepting of that which is different and perhaps better. We can all become stuck, thinking we know everything there is to know about a subject, until we meet someone who can show us a different way. Our job as students of life is to be open to listening to them. I have met a few people in my life who I would consider mentors, people who have led by example, shown my different global perspectives that I wouldn’t have know otherwise, and feel have made me a better person. Have I communicated that knowledge I have gained in an effective manner at all times? Absolutely not, that is one of my shortcomings at times, but at least I know what I can work on improving (one area of many). There is so much more to say about wisdom. For now, let me just implore all who read this to seek to know more, to read deeper, to look deeper within ourselves to see where we can improve, where our knowledge is lacking, and how we can getter better at learning and conveying that knowledge to others. Wisdom takes a lot of work, and I don’t know that I’ll ever by truly wise, but I can promise you this, I will never stop trying to improve myself, including my communication skills with others, and seeking to improve those around me with knowledge I gain along the way.