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Is there a path to wisdom?

coberst

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Is there a path to wisdom?

How can I know what I do not know? How can I trace that boundary between knowledge and ignorance?

In the dialogue “Apology” Plato writes about Socrates while in the dungeon just before drinking the hemlock that the citizens of Athens condemned him to be executed.

In the dungeon shortly before drinking from the hemlock cup Socrates spoke to his followers. He spoke about the accusations against him at the trial. He said that the sworn indictment against him was “Socrates is guilty of needless curiosity and meddling interference, inquiring into things beneath Earth and in the Sky…”

Socrates further adds that he is accused of teaching the people of Athens, to which Socrates vehemently denies that he is a teacher. He points out that in matters of wisdom he has only a small piece of that territory; the wisdom that he does have is the wisdom not to think he knows what he does not know. Socrates conjectures that he has the wisdom to recognize the boundary of his present knowledge and to search for that knowledge that he does not have. “So it seems at any rate I am wiser in this one small respect: I do not think I know what I do not.”

For Socrates a necessary component of wisdom is to comprehend what one is ignorant of.

Am I wise? Do I know what I am ignorant of? I certainly know that I am ignorant of astronomy and music. There are many things about which it is obvious to me that I am ignorant of. Are there things about which I am not even aware of my ignorance? Are there matters about which I think I am knowledgeable of but which I am, in fact, ignorant of?

When I ask myself these questions I become conscious of a great number of things about which I am ignorant. Does this mean I am like Socrates in this matter? I do not think so. Socrates is speaking about two types of ignorance about which most people are unconscious of.

I think that Socrates is speaking of our ‘burden of illusion’. People are unconscious of the superficiality of much that they think they know and they are unconscious of a vast domain of knowledge that is hidden from the non critical thinker.


The uncritical mind has no means for discovering these illusions. CT (Critical Thinking) is the keystone for discovering these illusions. The Catch-22 here is how can one develop a critical mind when they are deluded into thinking they have a critical mind?

When our educational system has not taught our citizens how to think critically how can our citizens ever pull themselves out of this deep hole of illusion?


“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble; it’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so”—Mark Twain

coberstakaDutchuncle
 

Mole

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Critical thinking is an acquired taste.

And a taste for critical thinking will lead to an appetite for critical thinking.

But here, for instance, very few have the taste or the appetite for critical thinking.

And the fact that so many here belong to the cult of MBTI indicate this.

But just imagine what short work Socrates would make of MBTI.
 

Risen

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Yea, it's called living and learning from life.
 

entropie

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care to explain ? no ? ok

I know only one thing for sure about wisdom. Even if you question yourself a thousand times per second, it doesnt mean you are not wise. You just have to remember the things and keep them in mind to learn from it. Otherwise its gone and wisdom wont develop.

Comes with age tho, thats my opinion
 

MrME

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Live your life and learn from your mistakes. That will make you wise. I don't think there is a shortcut to wisdom, either.
 

entropie

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Ya but the thing is, you have to take-in experience. There are people repeating the same mistake over and over again, especially some woman. Therefore some teaching is necessary.
 

professor goodstain

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Ya but the thing is, you have to take-in experience. There are people repeating the same mistake over and over again, especially some woman. Therefore some teaching is necessary.

You are correct muchacho. Also we all learn in different ways and we all teach ourselves in different ways. For instance, you can go to AA or you can end up in jail or hide behind chauvinism. Both maybe teach you something, yet you have to ask yourself-self...was eithers teaching helpful or should i stick with my own self taught 3rd choice:)
 

MrME

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The self-taught have an ignoramus for a student and a fool for a teacher.

Yes, people like Walter Cronkite, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Arthur C. Clarke, and Charles Dickens were obviously fools.
 

Eagle

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I'm throwing my thoughts in here. I'm not debating, but I wanted to comment.

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."
 

entropie

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You are correct muchacho. Also we all learn in different ways and we all teach ourselves in different ways. For instance, you can go to AA or you can end up in jail or hide behind chauvinism. Both maybe teach you something, yet you have to ask yourself-self...was eithers teaching helpful or should i stick with my own self taught 3rd choice:)

Dont hang me for my words... I watched starwars too :). You have to choose your own path, if it leads you to the dark side or not. I will never decide. I think there is always one thing the other side could do better
 

Mole

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"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."

And in the same breath we are commanded to love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and all thy strength.

So we are being commanded to love someone we fear.

This is precisely what an abuser asks of us.
 

AOA

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Integrity and Perseverance.

... Sums it up.
 

zago

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Pretty sure the path to wisdom is to question everything you believe. But only pretty sure.
 
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