In my previous blog I talked about wisdom, and in retrospect I realize that I mostly talked about the positive, or "good", side of wisdom and I'd like to touch on the more negative and unseen ways you can display wisdom. This probably won't be a long blog, since it's meant to just add finishing touches to an already discussed subject.
The idea that wise men do wise things, and that it means letting others benefit from what you've learnt, is definitely one side to it. But we don't usually talk about a "wise thief" or a "wise bank robber" and so on. In truth, wisdom can show itself in everything, and it is something that sets you apart from the rest.
A simple example of this is a wise burglar who makes a lot of preparations before choosing a home to break into, and uses a lot of clever tricks to make sure he knows that the inhabits are not home. He would make sure to bring the right tools for the job, and have a back up plan in case something goes wrong. A thief who doesn't run a high risk of getting caught or making a mistake.
Wisdom can therefore show in regards to how well you use information and self control in any situation. It isn't limited to "good" people.
I think one of the reasons why wisdom is typically thought of as a trait in good people is because of the self reflection it requires. Logically, it would make sense for a wise person to realise that their lifestyle is wrong, if it is one of crime, and thus try to change for the better. But that doesn't account for people who enjoy their criminal activities, and it certainly doesn't account for the people who are forced to do crime.
At the end of the day, the wise thief escapes capture and lives to steal another day. Wisdom is a difficult subject to discuss, because it isn't necessarily just about helping other people, but also about how best to harm them. I suppose it's how you use the knowledge that defines what kind of person you are.
Let's think up another example. Imagine a monarch who is called a wise ruler. You should expect this person to be able to pass proper judgement, make sure that his kingdom prospers and, maybe, expands. In war, a wise ruler would know how best to defeat his enemy, and make sure that his losses are minimal. As such, it can be wisdom to know how to make your people prosper while making your enemies wither. And thus we see it can be used to help or harm.
No matter what, wisdom is a subject that is very hard to narrow down to a single thing, and it's more or less applicable to a lot of things.
2 years ago. July 7, 2022 at 3:10 PM
