The Beginning of Wisdom

Dare I touch this topic?

Someone once said, “Wisdom is passion without emotion” . A speaker used that quote in the context of a speech about aging and maturity. I liked the quote when I first heard it but it began to work on me. The elements are appealing; wisdom, passion and emotion. To string those three words together in one related context is masterful. But is the sentence accurate? And so a pause and some meditation on Wisdom must follow …

Rolling that quotation around in my head, the word “emotion” became the sticking point. How can one have passion without some measure of emotion? Too much emotion can be bad, but emotion is fundamental to who we are as human beings. Emotion is central to the human condition. And isn’t there “good” emotion? I confuse passion with emotion. So, let’s go to the definitions to sort things out; Emotion = 1. A mental state that arises spontaneously rather than through conscious effort and is often accompanied by physiological changes; a feeling: the emotions of joy, sorrow, reverence, hate, and love. 2. A state of mental agitation or disturbance. 3. The part of the consciousness that involves feeling; sensibility. I suppose that “emotion” is summed up for me as being my personal reaction to things based on my world view, values and perspective relative to me.

Okay, now “passion”. Passion = 1. The state of being acted upon or affected by something external, especially something alien to one's nature or one's customary behavior. Honestly, that's not exactly what I expected it to mean. I'm glad I looked it up. Passion, as defined, is not "of" me. I thought it was something, part of me, mine, that rose up and inspired me. And I guess that's true, but now I realize, by the definition, that my passions affect me and act upon me from something "other than" me. I don't affect them. This begs the question; Where do they originate? For the moment, I'll just accept that they exist as I begin to realize that to understand my passions, whatever they are and where ever they are from, and to live in and by them will require an other-centeredness and other-consciousness.

So, the greater the maturity the lesser the emotion … the point of the quotation ... and the greater my giving of myself to my passions. Passion and emotion may be mixed but wisdom may suffer. The beginning of true wisdom is where emotion is restrained, disciplined and even set aside. It dawns on me that true passion points toward purpose and so passion, purpose and wisdom are related. Will I then be wisest when I give myself to my passions toward a purpose?


Wisdom is a broad topic of discussion. It might be broken into themes such as; The Beginning of Wisdom, The Path Toward Wisdom, The Pursuit of Wisdom, The Attainment of Wisdom, The Refining of Wisdom, Wisdom through Discernment and The End of Wisdom. All worthy themes for in-depth discussion.

I invite readers to share and comment on what Wisdom is to them and offer a favorite quotation on the subject.

To “prime the pump” I’ve searched out a few quotations on what I would call the “beginning” of Wisdom from a sampling of varied sources and of varying world views. Here they are;

"Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.“ ~ Thomas Jefferson

“The doorstep to the temple of wisdom is a knowledge of our own ignorance.” ~ Charles Spurgeon

“In wisdom gathered over time I have found that every experience is a form of exploration.” ~ Ansel Adams

“Wisdom comes only when you stop looking for it and start living the life the Creator intended for you.” ~ American Indian Proverb

“The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.” ~ Isaac Asimov

“Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.” ~ Bertrand Russell

"By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.“ ~ Confucius

“Wisdom consists of the anticipation of consequences.” ~ Norman Cousins

“Information can yield knowledge. But knowledge does not become wisdom until it is humbled before God.” ~ Anon.

“Gossip ends at a wise person’s ears.” ~ Anon.

The Serenity Prayer; “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him Forever in the next. Amen." ~ Reinhold Niebuhr

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths." ~ Proverbs 3:5-6

There are myriad papers, volumes, quotations and commentary on the topic of wisdom. Most everyone has something to share on the topic. Could it be a central component of the three questions every person has; Why am I here? What’s my purpose? Where do I go from here - what's next? Could wisdom be central to the mystery of existence? Are passion, purpose and wisdom central to the mystery of existance?

Wisdom, contemplation and meditation seem to go hand in hand. One of my favorite verses in the Bible suggests deliberate and regular meditation on a string of descriptives and identifiers for elements of a life experience marked by an appreciation for and practice of wisdom. Following an encouragement to be gentle, calm and to prayerfully seek and expectantly await a peace that surpasses all understanding, the Apostle Paul suggests in Philippians 4:8 that, in the meanwhile; “ … whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”

The Bible speaks about a “worldly” wisdom versus a “spiritual” or “other worldly” wisdom. Boiled down, that struggle of “wisdoms” pits a fare-sighted view (eternal) against a shorter-sighted view (one lifetime, existential orientation).

Several words or concepts seem to be sub-components of wisdom; patience, experience, discernment, sense of responsibility, application of knowledge and truth. Perhaps these can be called the “ways” of wisdom.

Wisdom has a way of proving itself … over time. It is usually in retrospect that we appreciate the results of wisdom in action, probably because of its longer-view motives and orientation. Wisdom also seems to have a selfless or other-centered element to it. The application of wisdom does not always immediately reward the applicant and rarely does it do so directly. A greater benefit somehow results that benefits the applicant in ways he or she may not foresee. Adherence to the “ways” of wisdom is a way of conducting oneself and approaching the circumstances of life in a measured fashion in response to each turn and challenge. In many ways wisdom is appreciated from an appropriate distance - like a work of art. Too close and it loses its beauty due to lack of perspective and appreciation of scope. Too far and the impact of the wisdom is diffused.

Back to that selfless element of wisdom; the ability to take ones-self out of the equation as it were in order to see the circumstances more clearly, more objectively, on a broader plane. Maybe that’s the beginning of wisdom that Jefferson talks about when he refers to honesty. A selflessly honest approach would indeed indicate a measure of maturity. Is it then fair to say that true wisdom then is not relative but, rather, absolute, defined outside of ourselves?

It is said that it is in our losses and defeats that the elements of wisdom are discovered and tested; the courage to get up and keep going, perseverance, focus on the greater good, patience, grace and humility. This is also character. Wisdom reflects character.

We have now drifted toward the philosophical, so let’s briefly ponder the meaning of philosophy;
1. Love and pursuit of wisdom by intellectual means and moral self-discipline.
2. Investigation of the nature, causes, or principles of reality, knowledge, or values, based on logical reasoning rather than empirical methods.
3. A system of thought based on or involving such inquiry.
4. The critical analysis of fundamental assumptions or beliefs.
5. The disciplines presented in university curriculums of science and the liberal arts, except medicine, law, and theology.
6. The discipline comprising logic, ethics, aesthetics, metaphysics, and epistemology (knowledge science).
7. A set of ideas or beliefs relating to a particular field or activity; an underlying theory. A system of values by which one lives.

Here’s what I think; wisdom reflects one's character and is the conclusion of successful philosophy in action relative to a standard or truth outside of ones-self. A failed philosophy will lack wisdom in its practice. And who is the judge of wisdom? Relatively speaking, every person … and absolutely speaking, no person.

My view; A life of wisdom is an other-centered existance lived in the string of moments that constitute a life, drawing from the experiences of the past, considering with anticipation the future, actively engaged, drawing on passion, fearlessly exercising measured aggressiveness responsibly and with a sense of accountably and a heart and mind together bound and grounded on a future beyond this existance.

I know this has been a deep one. Thanks for coming out on the limb. I appreciate any comments to enrich this "beginning".

All the best!

Bill