" Ascribing wisdom to a few individuals ... " That's the way wisdom seems to exist, Neil, with individuals. You can only take it forward from there, with that recognition.
" ... and any simplistic reference to nature-nurture in this respect seems unpromising." As is well recognised, Neil, dissatisfaction with the status quo is a very positive thing. So, what do you suggest ? " We can genetically reprogramme mice with a citrus extract so that their livers burn rather than store fat." Good, I never knew we could genetically program humans to be wise ? If it's feasible, what is the world waiting for ? What are you waiting for ? I am all for it. " I doubt we will get a wisdom pill ... " Doesn't matter, Neil, we can go ahead with the genetic recourse you've suggested. " ... but there is a lot we could do socially to improve both fact availability ... " I can see people - process - system ( IT ) interventions you are suggesting to the current governance practice ! Everybody is already busy doing just that. It 's just that, too, we remain where we are. " ... and honesty in social action." Now, that's a totally different matter. Honesty pertains to individuals alone. Only individuals are dishonest, and only they can be honest. Apparently, for most of us, it takes a lot before we can be honest. It 's feasible only after we've seen the ways in which we are dishonest, and spot all the ways in which we are not honest enough, and all rest when we are not even aware of which way it is. Even before all that awareness process is set in motion, we need know why we should care, when the world goes about its ways without such care, when platitudes are all that we are really required to offer. Why do we have to bother, much less decide and make a choice between honesty and dishonesty, consistently, everytime we think and feel and act ? Where is the drive for doing so, when ' do as it goes ' leaves us better off anyways ? " History demonstrates long and hard that "wisdom" is more often feigned than not and for social purpose (domination, control and so on). One might even postulate that some people have found ways to lead and control by manipulating the ignorance of others." That's hardly wisdom, Neil. In fact, the opposite ... it 's ignorance. What " wisdom " do you find in these conduct ? The answer would give you an honest peek into yourself. What purpose do you have in confounding wisdom with ignorance. " It is possible to imagine a wise society in which not every person achieves wisdom." What is a wise " society ?" I can visualise it in the form of ' living tradition.' We 've already denied it, destroyed and disowned it. We have in its stead our deified ' little selves.' When I see you and your post, Neil, I also see that in a way we already have such a " wise society in which not every person achieves wisdom !" Unless, you clarify. On Jul 15, 5:47 pm, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > Well goo goo blobble-dribble to you Vam! If you have the wit to > understand baby talk, that is, old friend (LOL). I actually feel the > same way as you about hard-won freedoms - my fear is we are losing > them and respect and understanding of those who fought for them and > how this was possible. Perhaps we should both become 'Crocodile > Men' (Papa New Guinea) as a mutual act of atonement? This involves > cutting a complex tattoo on the body and then being washed down with a > salt-antiseptic as one howls in pain at becoming a man. I promise to > show you the courtesy of going first old man, just before I remember > that appointment with my accountant that can't be missed! I'm an > unlikely martyr. One is allowed the odd jibe and weakness my friend, > you more than most in my book. > > Ascribing wisdom to a few individuals and any simplistic reference to > nature-nurture in this respect seems unpromising. We can genetically > reprogramme mice with a citrus extract so that their livers burn > rather than store fat. I doubt we will get a wisdom pill, but there > is a lot we could do socially to improve both fact availability and > honesty in social action. History demonstrates long and hard that > "wisdom" is more often feigned than not and for social purpose > (domination, control and so on). One might even postulate that some > people have found ways to lead and control by manipulating the > ignorance of others. My big-scale guess on wisdom is that any > improvement in it will require courage, including the courage to stand > up and be counted. Even this is not about the existential hero of > Dirty Harry movies or most of the other rot of action films and > literature. It is possible to imagine a wise society in which not > every person achieves wisdom. > > On 15 July, 12:28, Molly Brogan <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > I see wisdom there... > > > On Jul 14, 10:18 pm, Vamadevananda <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Don and Neil ! > > > > My unconditional apology for the unmerited harshness in my post, even > > > for its untimeliness and being out of context. I seem to have been > > > touched on the raw. My apologies, once again. > > > > On Jul 15, 1:38 am, Don Johnson <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Vam, Arch's comment was a riff on a post I made about hanging > > > > monkey's(joke) in another thread. As for tradition, it is important > > > > and comforting, but there is also the aspect to it that becomes > > > > ridiculous and/or unnecessary. Like the woman when asked why she > > > > cuts the turkey a certain way before cooking says that's how Momma > > > > always did it. When Nana is asked she says, "Oh, we had to do it that > > > > way to make it fit in the oven." We are doing much the same thing now > > > > with the Maynard Keynes way of spending ourselves out of debt. > > > > Because that's how it's always been done(since the Depression). Never > > > > mind how much of a failure it was with Japan in the 90's and is > > > > currently failing the U.S. now. That is the tradition Arch is talking > > > > about. IMO. Humans can be foolish and stubborn. > > > > > dj > > > > > On Tue, Jul 14, 2009 at 10:49 AM, Vamadevananda<[email protected]> > > > > wrote: > > > > > > I find it extremely infantile, Neil, nay, outright moronic, when you > > > > > rail against tradition ! > > > > > > I know, when I say, that the freedom and fundamental rights we have > > > > > and see today is a result of a long line of souls who 've tended to > > > > > those values for their entire lives, in their hearts and minds, down > > > > > the course of history, at much cost to their selves, even life / > > > > > lives. Jesus was one such, notwithanding Paul and centuries of > > > > > Christianity and Church ' tradition ' that since followed. There is > > > > > none greater than Jesus, who esposed the golden rule ... do unto > > > > > others ... .... at a time when it was not even appreciated by most, > > > > > especially the powerful, at the4 cost of his own life. Much of our > > > > > laws today are actually derived from that mother rule. > > > > > > I laugh at puny minds and hearts such as we are, who complain of this > > > > > and that now, in the comfortable confines of our secure homes and > > > > > under the guaranteed protection of law none can go against today. That > > > > > security and that protection has been won at great cost, after much > > > > > tears and loss of blood, by people no longer remembered in our > > > > > tradition ... because, they lost then ... and, we all know, that > > > > > history is written by the victors. > > > > > > You want more ... more freedom, more rights, more justice ... go > > > > > ahead. You're welcome. And, godspeed. But, for the sake of all of us, > > > > > please do not make a hero or martyr of yourself, when you are not. Not > > > > > yet, at least. > > > > > > And, in the process of raising ourself, in that cause, we have no > > > > > business forgetting our roots, much less disowning them. They, the > > > > > forgotten, are the gods we'd do well to remember, while proceeding > > > > > with our tasks today. > > > > > > No offense meant. Apologies nevertheless, for any hurt caused. > > > > > > On Jul 14, 5:43 am, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > >> It was a chimpanzee thought to be a French spy in Hartlepool Don. > > > > >> You > > > > >> colonials were, of course, still hanging horses until quite recently. > > > > >> Witches were also hung rather than burned, despite rumours to the > > > > >> contrary in horror films. Our collective traditional wisdom knows no > > > > >> bounds! > > > > > >> On 14 July, 00:18, Manfraco Frank the Elder <[email protected]> > > > > >> wrote: > > > > > >> > My views about wisdom: > > > > >> > Wisdom is the mental capacity of a wise person, whom when > > > > >> > confronted > > > > >> > with a problem is able to solve it better then the average person. > > > > >> > His/her wisdom is usually an accumulated knowledge of all those > > > > >> > events > > > > >> > that this person has lived during his/her life; therefore this wise > > > > >> > person is capable somehow of using this accumulated knowledge, and > > > > >> > when a problem arises he/she would be able to solve it better than > > > > >> > the > > > > >> > others. > > > > >> > I don’t know exactly why one wise person becomes wiser than > > > > >> > somebody > > > > >> > else, even though they might have lived most of the same events > > > > >> > together, so, I guess that some people are better able to > > > > >> > assimilate > > > > >> > their knowledge, perhaps by storing the knowledge at the highest > > > > >> > level > > > > >> > in their own mind, so, when the need arises they are able to use > > > > >> > this > > > > >> > accumulated knowledge. > > > > >> > Since wisdom (accumulated knowledge) may be stored at one level > > > > >> > higher > > > > >> > that just what we call reason, it may seem and feel like a sixth > > > > >> > sense > > > > >> > to the wise man that has it. So, I would say that the wise man > > > > >> > would > > > > >> > use reasoning just to back up his wisdom. > > > > >> > There is also a small possibility that the wise person may be able > > > > >> > to > > > > >> > tune into the cosmos, which is thought that it may be able to store > > > > >> > the entire accumulated knowledge of everything just like God, this > > > > >> > thought of course gives rise to this question. > > > > >> > Is the cosmos an integral part of God of the universe? Well it may > > > > >> > be > > > > >> > part of God. > > > > >> > But here we are talking about wisdom and not God. So the > > > > >> > definition of > > > > >> > wisdom and where it comes from remains a mystery to me also. > > > > >> > These are my personal views about Wisdom. > > > > >> > My regards to Slip and members of the group > > > > >> > Manfraco. > > > > > >> > On Jul 11, 11:03 am, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > >> > > Yes, wisdom, the dominion of the wise, often associated with old > > > > >> > > age > > > > >> > > and life experience. Though I've met some young that were wise, > > > > >> > > it > > > > >> > > was mostly specific without a broad spectrum of knowledge. > > > > >> > > Perhaps > > > > >> > > they were just more aware or in tune with certain aspects of > > > > >> > > life. > > > > >> > > What is true wisdom? The wise old sage once said "wisdom is the > > > > >> > > accumulation of knowledge", but then again what is knowledge and > > > > >> > > what > > > > >> > > knowledge does one have to be perceived as having wisdom? Having > > > > >> > > knowledge of mathematics, science or business does not > > > > >> > > necessarily > > > > >> > > render a person as wise. In that sense I don't think that > > > > >> > > education > > > > >> > > has to play a part in attaining wisdom and secondary to that I > > > > >> > > think > > > > >> > > that wisdom is subject to categorization. > > > > >> > > Each person individually gathers the necessary blocks of > > > > >> > > knowledge > > > > >> > > that culminates into the specific wisdom he or she can offer. > > > > >> > > The > > > > >> > > wisest of people may not have a clue as to what words of wisdom > > > > >> > > are > > > > >> > > needed for the recovering drug addict, the alcoholic etcetera > > > > >> > > etcetera > > > > >> > > ecetera. > > > > >> > > I have many times been thanked for my words of wisdom and each > > > > >> > > time > > > > >> > > thought they were just words coming from my insight into a > > > > >> > > problem, > > > > >> > > the ability to logically sort it all out, simply viewing their > > > > >> > > world > > > > >> > > from outside looking in. Is wisdom simply pointing out aspects > > > > >> > > that > > > > >> > > another does not see or does not understand, the discernment of a > > > > >> > > hidden truth within the minds of others? Remember, any idiot > > > > >> > > can be > > > > >> > > perceived as a genius around a group of morons. > > > > >> > > I've traveled many roads since birth, travailed many hardships, > > > > >> > > enjoyed countless excursions into the unknown, felt much pain and > > > > >> > > anguish mentally and physically but still the journey goes on > > > > >> > > and each > > > > >> > > year is in no way like any preceding year, possibly the scary > > > > >> > > part, > > > > >> > > just look at Lee and Ling. > > > > >> > > So if wisdom comes with experience and if experiences can change, > > ... > > read more »- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. 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