Wisdom
“Wisdom – an impossible goal, and pretending to be wise an illusion; but let the goal be close proximity to wisdom, that it better facilitates one’s many enquiries”
A potent little phrase which goes to the heart of learning. It is, in essence, a take on humility.
To believe one is wise is in and of itself the antithesis of wisdom. Coming into such a belief represents the onset of conceit; the point at which an individual ceases to grow. It is the very moment where one might begin to contaminate a lifetime of diligently accrued learning.
An antidote is hard to come by, a remedy impossible. To smell this vulgar beast a mile off is one's best chance at orchestrating immunity, banking therefore upon a fortress of stored redundancy well in advance of an ambush. In so doing, one may well succeed in keeping this hungry monster at bay, long enough at least for it to implode on itself, thereby devouring its very own sinister agenda.
At the same time it is not unwise to ask of wisdom her opinion. To do so is to continually be in pursuit of greater understanding. Therefore, let not humanity strive to BE WISE, but to instead perpetually seek what IS WISE.
The difference is terminology is as night is to day.