I largely agree with Siddhartha that wisdom can only be gained through experience. I just think of all the times I knew something intellectually but didn’t understand it sufficiently to properly act on it until I lived it. But there is a more fun corollary from Zen Without Zen Masters, “If you think you can get beyond pleasure without going through it, we are definitely on different trips.”
True! But that requires trust. Trust that the person transferring the knowledge correctly interpreted their experience and was able to communicate it well. As wisdom fades from living memory (as those who directly experienced it pass or are marginalized), it seems difficult for society to maintain the integrity of that knowledge across new contexts. The scientific method is supposed to help with this, but we have difficulty following it at scale. Reminds me of this comic about collecting questions.
I largely agree with Siddhartha that wisdom can only be gained through experience. I just think of all the times I knew something intellectually but didn’t understand it sufficiently to properly act on it until I lived it. But there is a more fun corollary from Zen Without Zen Masters, “If you think you can get beyond pleasure without going through it, we are definitely on different trips.”
Wisdom also teaches us that learned knowledge can be as beneficial as wisdom. This is what allows society to advance.
True! But that requires trust. Trust that the person transferring the knowledge correctly interpreted their experience and was able to communicate it well. As wisdom fades from living memory (as those who directly experienced it pass or are marginalized), it seems difficult for society to maintain the integrity of that knowledge across new contexts. The scientific method is supposed to help with this, but we have difficulty following it at scale. Reminds me of this comic about collecting questions.