The Way of Wisdom

Since ancient times wisdom has been a prized acquisition. Solomon, history’s wisest man, wrote “Acquire wisdom, and with all you acquiring, get understanding” (Proverbs 4:7). He recognized that wisdom and understanding were actually two different virtues. Today we need to re-examine the role of each, and the benefit of using them both in the best way.

Wisdom might be defined as the ability to choose the best means to the best ends in every situation. Understanding is the ability to recognize what the best ends really are along with the discernment and courage necessary to choose the best means to those ends.

Basic to our day is an inconsistency as to what the best ends are in life. Take the pursuit of wealth for example. If you decide that the best ends in your life situations are those what help you accumulate material wealth, then your choice of means will be shaped accordingly. You will do whatever it takes to gain a profit, even if it means bending the rules, or perpetrating injustice on those in your way. You will think little about taking unfair advantage of others if it will increase your bottom line. We see this in multiple ways in our world today.

If you have gone down the path of immediate sexual gratification as a driving force in your life then you will think nothing of engaging in multiple sexual liaisons. Every opportunity for pleasure will be seen as the best means to the best ends in your life. And the same can be said for those passionate for power, or fame.

The same truth provides the foundation for other more beneficial lifestyles as well. Those who are driven to champion the plight of the poor and disenfranchised may come to the place where the “ends justify the means” as in the recent Occupy movement.

What may have begun with good ideals deteriorated into chaos and criminal activity on the part of many. How did they get off track? Simply put, while they may have had some level of wisdom and knowledge, they lacked understanding. They didn’t see the big picture. They rushed into a fray without understanding the short and long-term results of their actions. Consequently, they didn’t choose the right means to accomplish their goals. Instead, their foolishness was demonstrated by their own demise. Their cause suffered from a breakdown of internal virtue and they became a mob to be controlled rather than a controlling ideology that could shape public opinion.

The great problem we face in our society is the radical increase in believing that the best ends are always those that bring personal peace and wellbeing. We are fast becoming a people whose daily choices are shaped and fueled more by the desire for immediate pleasure than by long-term stability. Our impatience is exceeded only by our addiction to happiness, and this has clouded our vision. More and more our daily choices are driven by how we want to feel right now. This isn’t wise. And more, it demonstrates that we don’t understand the grave consequences of our selfishness. We are blind to the incremental erosion of our courage to make hard choices.

Our daily addiction to happiness is making cowards of us all, and our reaction is simply to laugh and demand more fun. Meanwhile, the virtues of hard work, delayed gratification, integrity, and true compassion are taking a backseat to easy money, duplicity, and the determination to make sure nice guys finish last.

Perhaps we need to re-examine just what the best ends are in life. For Solomon, the beginning of wisdom was a proper recognition of God. Life is not up to us to figure out. It is to be lived on the highest ethical plane, as those accountable for more than their own temporal happiness. We once believed that the best means in every situation were those that enabled us to love God and love our neighbor. Maybe wisdom and understanding aren’t that difficult to understand after all.