pursuit
the pursuit of wisdom, i find, is an unpopular one.
many people search for love, significance, money, power, pleasure, fulfillment, etc. and as you know, everybody's in search of something. they may not consciously or deliberately state it that way, but you can tell by the way they talk and what they talk about.
not many people are searching for wisdom.
i cannot help but habitually pursue wisdom. i think for a little while i tried to stop, but invariably and perhaps by nature of my personality, my mind heads in that direction, asking questions, wanting to KNOW and understand.
lest you think i am being arrogant, please note that i have not stated whether or not i believe i have been successful in my pursuit.
perhaps there is a foolish part in me that believes that the consequence of wisdom is the peace that i desire. (possibly specifically "peace despite circumstances"?) it's the stereotype of the sage, isn't it? some long-bearded, thin, wizened old recluse sitting cross-legged on a serene mountaintop in tattered burlap clothing. maybe with a gnarly staff and most definitely with a imperturbable peaceful look on his face.
unfortunately, wisdom does not impart peace as a direct consequence. in fact, "in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain." in addition to that, the pursuit of wisdom as an ultimate goal is flawed in that "the race is not to the swift and the battle is not to the warriors, and neither is bread to the wise nor wealth to the discerning nor favor to men of ability; for time and chance overtake them all." it is the prototypical "striving after wind." the kicker of it is that "as dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor," so no matter how much wisdom you get, you're still hosed.
but still, i know that wisdom is good; at least it's better than folly, right? well, only as much as light is better than darkness. i guess that must be, to me, enough to make it worth pursuing?
i suppose this makes me somewhat of a masochist.
but you already knew that.
many people search for love, significance, money, power, pleasure, fulfillment, etc. and as you know, everybody's in search of something. they may not consciously or deliberately state it that way, but you can tell by the way they talk and what they talk about.
not many people are searching for wisdom.
i cannot help but habitually pursue wisdom. i think for a little while i tried to stop, but invariably and perhaps by nature of my personality, my mind heads in that direction, asking questions, wanting to KNOW and understand.
lest you think i am being arrogant, please note that i have not stated whether or not i believe i have been successful in my pursuit.
perhaps there is a foolish part in me that believes that the consequence of wisdom is the peace that i desire. (possibly specifically "peace despite circumstances"?) it's the stereotype of the sage, isn't it? some long-bearded, thin, wizened old recluse sitting cross-legged on a serene mountaintop in tattered burlap clothing. maybe with a gnarly staff and most definitely with a imperturbable peaceful look on his face.
unfortunately, wisdom does not impart peace as a direct consequence. in fact, "in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain." in addition to that, the pursuit of wisdom as an ultimate goal is flawed in that "the race is not to the swift and the battle is not to the warriors, and neither is bread to the wise nor wealth to the discerning nor favor to men of ability; for time and chance overtake them all." it is the prototypical "striving after wind." the kicker of it is that "as dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor," so no matter how much wisdom you get, you're still hosed.
but still, i know that wisdom is good; at least it's better than folly, right? well, only as much as light is better than darkness. i guess that must be, to me, enough to make it worth pursuing?
i suppose this makes me somewhat of a masochist.
but you already knew that.
posted by CamoBunny at 07:30
|
0 comments
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home