If philosophy is the love or study of wisdom, then by that logic philosophers should be the most wise people on earth. Now that statement can be treated more as a joke than a reality! Why the lacuna between study of wisdom and being wise?
I think the chasm lies in the fact that most philosophers get embroiled with logic, arguments, reasoning and reading, it is purely at the intellectual level. In life, these hardly make an impact. When these do not percolate my convictions, principles, values and day-to-day decisions of life, how would it make impact others, leave along the society at large? Wisdom comes from letting these ideas and theories being worked out in real life, with real people and relations. Not merely in the abstract world of ideas and thoughts. In that sense, I still hold that my Mum is a more wise person than I, in spite of my years of study of philosophy!
I agree that reading and thinking and philosophising helps. But wisdom comes from living life, not merely reading about life or thinking about life. We become wise engaging with real life-situations and people - the more challenging and complex these are, the better the possibility of we growing wise. Reading and thinking and engaging in an intellectual debate (however intense) are safe bets - not life-altering. Real life situations and the challenges they throw up, demand radical decisions and careful consideration. That's the route to wisdom.
I think the chasm lies in the fact that most philosophers get embroiled with logic, arguments, reasoning and reading, it is purely at the intellectual level. In life, these hardly make an impact. When these do not percolate my convictions, principles, values and day-to-day decisions of life, how would it make impact others, leave along the society at large? Wisdom comes from letting these ideas and theories being worked out in real life, with real people and relations. Not merely in the abstract world of ideas and thoughts. In that sense, I still hold that my Mum is a more wise person than I, in spite of my years of study of philosophy!
I agree that reading and thinking and philosophising helps. But wisdom comes from living life, not merely reading about life or thinking about life. We become wise engaging with real life-situations and people - the more challenging and complex these are, the better the possibility of we growing wise. Reading and thinking and engaging in an intellectual debate (however intense) are safe bets - not life-altering. Real life situations and the challenges they throw up, demand radical decisions and careful consideration. That's the route to wisdom.
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