But it’s a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things. – Henry David Thoreau, Walden
Henry David Thoreau, a regular contributor to The Thought for the Day, was a writer and genuine American philosopher. Though sales of Walden got off to a slow start, it has been in print almost continuously for the past 163 years and remains a landmark in American letters.
Wisdom can be confusing. Wise men are exalted in sacred texts and some ancients are still revered for their wisdom. As they should be because their work laid the foundations for modern thought’s never-ending march.
But this can make wisdom seem out of reach to mere, non-exalted mortals like you and me. However, it shouldn’t. Wisdom does not mean knowing confusing philosophical terms or being conversant with philosophy’s numerous and differing schools of thought.
Far from it, in fact. Wisdom is there for anyone because wisdom is not granted, it is earned. It is not something you are born with, it is something you gather over the course of your years. It is not reserved for anyone, it is there for all. It is the culmination of your experiences, both practical and learned, and is a direct result of your willingness to learn from and apply these experiences.
More than anything, wisdom stems from knowing yourself. It comes from the year-in, year-out effort of putting nature and circumstance to work for you and from the day-in, day-out marching on your path. It comes from knowing our strengths and weaknesses, avoiding the latter while using the former to advantage. Wisdom comes from knowing how we were meant to spend our time on the planet, from striving and failing before ultimately succeeding.
But it’s a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things
Thoreau was an excellent example of knowing yourself and each of us should be, too. When we are, when we’ve taken the time to know exactly what we are about and what we should be doing with our lives, then we will have the wisdom to avoid the desperate acts that sometimes occupy others and be open to what nature and circumstance have in store for us.
The Thought for the Day runs regularly. Quotes are from Gaylon’s private stock.
