The Fools Guide to Wisdom

The problem with wisdom is the young aren’t interested and the old think they have it.

I know I’m not wise because I think I am. I’m eager to say wise things. I’m even more eager that others think I’m saying wise things.

"I neither know nor think I know." Plato's wisdom. Image of a divided path in the forest.

Wise people seek wisdom.

Plato set out to find people wiser than him. He found a politician thought to be wise and thought himself wise.

Plato tried to explain that the politician wasn’t wise. The result, the man hated him. Plato left the man saying, “I am better off than he is, for he knows nothing, and thinks that he knows; I neither know nor think that I know.”

Intellectual humility comes before sagacity.

The problem with the world is, “The know-nothings are, unfortunately, seldom the do-nothings.” AI generated image of a firefighter pouring gas on a fire.

10 Wise Questions Even Fools Can Use:

What can I do today that my future self will thank me for?
What if they’re right?
What am I missing?
How will this matter in a year? 5 years?
How can I serve, not simply how can I succeed?
What patterns are active here?
How would my best-self respond to this?
What’s the underlying issue?
If I say yes, what am I saying no to?
What’s the better question?

You haven't learned anything unless you're a fool. Wisdom is always learning. Image of a child in wonder.

Unwise:

I’m unwise because I impatiently wait for all the fools around me to stop talking.

I’m not a sage because I enjoy correcting people. Anyone will do. I notice what’s wrong with them and look for opportunities to show them a better way.

Sagacity escapes me because I prefer judging the past rather than asking, “What does this teach me?” Instead of learning, I beat myself down.

The problem with the world is, “The know-nothings are, unfortunately, seldom the do-nothings.” Mignon McLaughlin