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What is Wisdom?

Coriolis

Si vis pacem, para bellum
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I have to wonder though, how do we not do what is wrong without then inadvertently doing what is right? Wouldn't it be right in itself just not to do what is wrong - to not make a mistake?
Are right and wrong the only options? If you are not doing wrong, are you automatically then doing right? You might be doing nothing, but then nothing might be the wrong (or the right) thing to do in the circumstances. Right and wrong are too vague and subjective. Wisdom is more about understanding and effectiveness, what our experiences teach us about navigating the world with positive outcomes. Positive here does not mean right in any moral sense, just "correct" in the sense of the course of action that brings us closer to our goals.
 

xisnotx

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Knowing enough not to answer this question.
I fail...wisely?
not by my definition.
In yours?
 

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That's a good point. I guess if it's the kind of exploitation that others aren't aware of, so they don't know what harm is being done to them, then is it really harm? I would say so because these are the things that cause betrayal, which leads to negative emotions (which can lead to turmoil, violence, and suffering) and that is harmful. And then if the exploitation wasn't harmful, then is it just balancing a world, like a Robin Hood stealing from the rich (without the rich knowing) and giving to the poor? I guess that would be okay, if it was stopped before it became harmful.

I guess my question to you is, does the shrewd person create a trail of karma that comes back to bite them in the ass?

I guess that depends if you believe in karma, doesn't it?

One could make the argument that a wise person would not (need to) extort someone. Maybe it all comes down to approach.
 

Little_Sticks

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Are right and wrong the only options? If you are not doing wrong, are you automatically then doing right? You might be doing nothing, but then nothing might be the wrong (or the right) thing to do in the circumstances. Right and wrong are too vague and subjective. Wisdom is more about understanding and effectiveness, what our experiences teach us about navigating the world with positive outcomes. Positive here does not mean right in any moral sense, just "correct" in the sense of the course of action that brings us closer to our goals.

I'm not sure I like the idea of eliminating right and wrong. If things can't be right or wrong, then what meaning does anything have? How do we make choices? If something can be good or bad, then wouldn't our pursuit of the good be what we think to be the right course of action? For some people, pursuing the bad might seem the right course of action, to receive punishment and moral clarity. I'm not really sure you can have a will without the concept of there being right and wrong. You don't think so?
 

Little_Sticks

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I guess that depends if you believe in karma, doesn't it?

If there is evidence for it, then doesn't it exist in some ways, but perhaps not all? Then you wouldn't have to believe in it as a theory of everything for it to exist. Maybe it only would exist sometimes.
 

Zangetshumody

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And do how do we know we can trust God?

The answer is: by faith.

We must take him at his word, and then we find that what he says is true.

We never find that what he says is true until we take him at his word. And, sadly, that is the stumbling block for us.

Thankfully, by God's grace, we can overcome this problem. He gives faith to those who seek it from him.

I'm all for taking someone by their word... have you read the bible? This guy has- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3rGev6OZ3w&feature=relmfu I would love to hear a real response from you on each terrible thing cited.

Faith is not blind faith.
 
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Coriolis

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I'm not sure I like the idea of eliminating right and wrong. If things can't be right or wrong, then what meaning does anything have? How do we make choices? If something can be good or bad, then wouldn't our pursuit of the good be what we think to be the right course of action? For some people, pursuing the bad might seem the right course of action, to receive punishment and moral clarity. I'm not really sure you can have a will without the concept of there being right and wrong. You don't think so?
Right and wrong are just words. What do they mean? Without meaning behind these terms, you might as well carry on without them, and use some other yardstick to judge your actions. Are you assuming certain definitions or standards of right and wrong? What if they are different from someone else's?
 

Zangetshumody

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Well, prudence is process where things are broken down into constituent parts, which are then assessed to ascertain how these parts interrelate;- this is how we come to understand something, or work through rudimentary truths implied by the initial set-up. True wisdom I believe requires a positive act of furtive creation, envisioning a new solution in which all the latent concerns are accounted for, but a kind of sweetness is introduced that is not on a scale that could have been implied by the original set-up; so not a mere application of some rudimentary reductionist answer cranking, but the articulation of some actual genius;- or applying all one's knowledge intuitively with each problem one is faced with.

Oh, what I mean by faith is:- where we derive purpose, where our thoughts and deeds correspond to some abstract ideal. And so being able to reconstruct the frame of our lives to better contain and control the stuff its made up of, is the height of creation and signifies the greatest form of life changing moves one can make. This allows us to evolve as individuals if utilized with care. Or you can get religious extremists who actually exercise very little faith, chaining themselves to a static moral outlook which they cannot find the will to question, the will to build constructive faith.
 
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Mole

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Psalm 53:1 - "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'"

And the wiseman says, "God is unlikely".

For the more we know, the more God recedes into the distance.

And the better we raise our children, the less need they have to make a sacrifice to a vengeful God.
 

Little_Sticks

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Right and wrong are just words. What do they mean? Without meaning behind these terms, you might as well carry on without them, and use some other yardstick to judge your actions. Are you assuming certain definitions or standards of right and wrong? What if they are different from someone else's?

I just meant right and wrong very broadly to mean essentially decision making which causes a person to produce an action or not to act at all. It's not really about judging actions as it's purpose is about understanding where and why they deviate by understanding the conclusions an individual reached. I don't know if you're thinking about this in terms of morality, but I didn't mean to include that (yet?), since the concept of morality is much more abstract to me and seems to build upon all of philosophy.

Do you have a problem with the idea of a subjective decision-making between different people? I would be interested to here how you resolve that idea into understanding people and reality if you do.
 

Zangetshumody

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I don't think you can be a very good philosopher, all the good arguments are in favor of a God. For no doubt there is a prime mover of some kind.

And the wiseman says, "God is unlikely".

For the more we know, the more God recedes into the distance.

And the better we raise our children, the less need they have to make a sacrifice to a vengeful God.
 

Spurgeon

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Job 28:28 “And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the LORD, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.”

Psalm 111:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth forever.”

Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Proverbs 3:7 “Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.”

Proverbs 4:5-7 “Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.”

Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.”

Proverbs 11:2 “He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbour: but a man of understanding holdeth his peace.”

Proverbs 11:30 “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.”

Proverbs 14:8 “The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit.”

Proverbs 16:16 “How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!”

Proverbs 29:15 “The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.”

Ecclesiastes 7:12 “For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.”

James 1:5 , 6 “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.”

James 3:16-17 “For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”
 

Zangetshumody

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Job 28:28 “And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the LORD, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.”

Psalm 111:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth forever.”

Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Proverbs 3:7 “Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.”

Proverbs 4:5-7 “Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.”

Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.”

Proverbs 11:2 “He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbour: but a man of understanding holdeth his peace.”

Proverbs 11:30 “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.”

Proverbs 14:8 “The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit.”

Proverbs 16:16 “How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!”

Proverbs 29:15 “The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.”

Ecclesiastes 7:12 “For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.”

James 1:5 , 6 “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.”

James 3:16-17 “For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”

I guess your one of those guys that think something simply has to be true if its written in the bible... listen to the little worm of doubt, for it speaks the truth.
 

Spurgeon

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I guess your one of those guys that think something simply has to be true if its written in the bible... listen to the little worm of doubt, for it speaks the truth.

Yes, I believe what the Bible says is true.

Primarily by faith, but confirmed by reason and experience.
 
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