2024年4月11日发(作者：)

英语阅读文章《智慧的生活方式》

"wisdom is knowledge and good judgment based on experience; being wise. 2.

wise conduct; wise words. 3. scholarly knowledge."

it seems to me that the dictionary's authors have relied upon an extraverted

measure of wisdom based upon what can be known about another's thoughts and

actions. however, a person's wisdom need not always to be seen for it to be

present in significant measure. how, then, can one approach such an extremely

complicated and ephemeral state such as wisdom?

one approach bases itself upon the fact that any concept which has a

significant unknown aspect can be approached through antinomies -- the

presentation of two sides which appear to be opposition with each other. when

one defines the phenomenon of wisdom solely by measurable, earthly standards

only one pole is used -- the material pole and the other dimension -- the spirtual

pole, or what we might call the "its unknown dimension" that is present in any wise

action whether it be in word or deed -- is ignored. while a one-sided definition

may work in some situation, in others it distorts the reality of the situation. it is this

"unknown dimension" of wisdom, what we might also call its introverted side, that

i wish to emphasize now.

i might say without much risk of over-stating my case that the missing

dimension in western life is the acceptance that balanced wisdom, the term i am

using to express wisdom that includes the above two poles, requires a transaction

with wisdom's opposites, that is, its antinomian nature. i have presented five

antinomies of wisdom for you to consider:

earthly (material / instinctual / lumen naturae) and spiritual (its unknown

aspects / archetypal / lumen dei)

individual and collective

knowledge and relationship

wisdom and foolishness

good and evil

traditional judeo-christian religion speaks much about wisdom, the chief text

being embodied in the book of proverbs, which i conside to be the "primer" on

helping one understand wisdom's unknown pole. one cannot go very far in their

understanding or growth in wisdom if they completely disregard a statements in

proverbs like: "the fear of the lord is the beginning of wisdom" (prov. 1:6). whether

one is religious or not, an understanding of and a non-denigrating attitude --

toward wisdom's unknown pole demands an serious exploration of a relationship

with the imago dei, for how else can one fully grasp that in the scriptures, wisdom

is personified or embodied. through personification we can relationally embrace

wisdom rather than it being solely an abstract knowledge or be left as only a

"definable goal." it is my opinion that wisdom can be embraced and loved only

when it is personified. one might call this "the engaging wisdom's heat" to

distinguish it from the cooler aspects of embracing wisdom only as concept.

the quest for balanced wisdom is an elusive thing, much like going toward a

destination to which one never arrives. instead of this making one impatient, i

encourage you to consider that all noble things are difficult, costly, and

time-consuming. furthermore, unlike the usual trips we take in life, wisdom's path

often diverts us from our conscious intention; we find ourselves in unknown and

disorienting places. these two aspects of the pursuit of wisdom are perceived

intuitively as the tension between knowing that the path leads to greater

connectedness and increase yet at the same time deconstruction and lack of

definiteness. without this uncomfortableness, inherent in its pursuit, wisdom

cannot be manifested, remaining dead, or perhaps inert.

the pursuit of wisdom is, in part, a battle of the heart in which the pursuit of

pleasure and lessening of discomfort, pain, or obligation continually pull us away

from engaging its unknown pole. the scripture, "out of the heart flows the issues of

life," just touches the depths of such a confrontation. concretely, the "issue of life"

is blood without which there can be no further life or only a life that is stagnant. i

encourage you to make the pursuit of wisdom as precious to you as your own

blood and the blood of others.