Wisdom

What is it to be human? One would think that humans would be experts on the subject, but instead the question seems without answer. The Wisdom of the Bones by Alan Walker and Pat Shipman explores this question by defining the physical and behavioral characteristics of humans and their ancestors. Despite our ability to create clean categories for other animals to fit in, Walker and Shipman reveal that there seems to be something harder for humans to define about ourselves. As is done with any…

Wisdom and knowledge are often interchangeably used, inevitably leading to some confusion understanding that they are different. Knowledge is something that can be sought and found, but wisdom is more complex. It can only be gained through experiences and the mere act of searching for it makes it more difficult to gain. In the novel Siddhartha by Herman Hesse shows us through Siddhartha that the path to wisdom is long and full of highs and lows, which provides for a more rounded experience and a…

What is wisdom? A definition of wisdom is the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the quality of being wise. Wisdom is the aftereffect of past life experiences, that will help a person and lead them to help others in the future. When a person has obtained insight, humility and dedication then and only then, will a person experience true wisdom. Although wisdom can be acquired, some of the traits are difficult to develop. Some people associate wisdom with age. Just…

of Socrates in Apology assured him that the politician, the poet, and the craftsmen were three types of person that believed to know how it should be managed their job and how it should be treated people by wisdom, but however they were scarce of trust, honesty, and the real meaning of wisdom regarding people’s reputation during Socrates’ request for trust. At the beginning, the action of Socrates is presented as a person who is not convinced about the oracle’s prophecy. So, instead of being…

In my youth, I used to enjoy relativism a lot more maybe it was my way of being annoying to those around me. However, as of recently, a switch flipped in me, and it was through reading the textbook for this class, titled Archetypes of Wisdom. In which it has a brief one page talking about how relativism is very common nowadays. I didn’t realize how rampant it is till it was pointed out. And because of this, I have started to believe that it’s becoming a…

Confucius once said: “By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.” (Goodreads). In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the children in the story obtain a lot of wisdom in these three ways. When their father is asked to defend an African American in their small prejudiced town in Alabama they learn many lessons. These lessons are heartbreaking and painful, but the…

How is wisdom obtained? Hesse wrote the book titled Siddhartha which is a connection to the spiritual essence of life. This novel conducts the journey of Siddhartha through the hardships of learning that knowledge cannot be gained through his teachers. Since SIddhartha must gain wisdom through his personal encounters he changes his form through numerous rebirths in the novel Whereas, Siddhartha travels through his life searching for the enlightenment from being a Brahmin like his father, to…

Wisdom encompasses all reality, so it is difficult to say that wisdom is found in any particular historical events, cultures or religions or in any ancient civilizations. However, the encounter with wisdom of the community of Israel can be traced in the written corpus which includes the Torah and the prophetic writings. Even so, some scholars studying the wisdom literature have the opinion or caution that, as wisdom is fundamentally related with creation and is available in every aspect of…

American heritage and consumerism. Dodge’s super bowl ad “Wisdom” deviates from the standard commercial norms by using a variety of senior citizens to appeal to a younger audience. Dodge successfully delivers a commercial that captures the spirit of the American automotive industry through the use of the narratives delivered by old men and women of America. The video begins with several senior citizens instilling words of elderly wisdom on the viewers. Their names and ages are also displayed as…

Why? (An explanation of why the study of Plato’s, “Apology”, is important to me) Philosophy is defined as two things; Love and wisdom. Plato makes a myriad of arguments in his astounding work, “Apology” in regards to love and wisdom. What are these things? What is love and what is wisdom? How does one possess such a thing? Plato is a philosophical genius in the way that he asks so many questions. He further demonstrates his brilliance by answering these questions with more questions. In his…