charlesesl

I think is would be cool to be wise and respected.
So the question is how can i gain wisdom.
Does books help or does it rely sololy of personal experience.
PS. I hope to become wise befor the age of getting too old

spectre

I don't think that you can gain wisdom by reading a book. Wisdom comes from personal experience. The only way to truely be wise is to understand what you are talking about and the only way to do that is to speak from experience.

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"Fuck these chains
No goddamn slave
I will be different" ~ Machine Head

Phaenx

"practice"

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"I went shopping last night at like 1am. The place was empty and this old woman just making polite conversation said to me, 'where is everyone??' I replied, 'In bed, same place you and I should be!' Took me ten minutes to figure out why she gave me a dirty look." --Some guy

charlesesl

???

SecretMethod70

Read some Plato, specifically the Apology, if you want to read about wisdom. Then you will realize that trying to be wise is the surest way to be unwise.

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Le temps détruit tout

"Musicians are the carriers and communicators of spirit in the most immediate sense." - Kurt Elling

sixate

Stay drug free. There's a good place to start.

phoenix1002

Definitely.

If you're talking about wisdom in more of a philosophical sense, read up on your philosophers, Plato, Descartes, Thoreau, Pascal, etc. Even better, find someone else, make them read the same things, and then argue about them with the other person. That way, you can come to your own conclusions, as well.

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I'd rather be climbing...

I approach college much like a recovering alcoholic--one day at a time...

saltfish

Wisdom is being able to admit that you do not know anything.

-SF

saltfish

Only a wise man can honestly say, "I do not know", when he does not.

-SF

John Henry

Try some Eastern philosophy. If you want some reading try 'Zen Flesh Zen Bones' by Paul Reps or the 'Tao of Poo' as easy starters.

There's a lot to be said for the idea in these sort of philosophies that true wisdom comes not from cramming your head with words, but from (if you'll excuse the tree-hugging terminology) cosmic realisation.

Meditation is a good way to start approaching such a state. You don't have to sit cross legged and say 'aum' or any of that crap, unless that happens to do it for you. The important thing is to relax and focus on something to clear your mind of all the unwisdom. This is something common to most forms of essential-wisdom seeking, whether you call it meditation, contemplation or prayer.

You might find some sort of breathing excercises help with this as they provide both a focus and a direct, biological relaxation.

Wisdom isn't about what you know, it's about what you don't fool yourself about.

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"No one was behaving from very Buddhist motives. Then, thought Pigsy, he was hardly a Buddha, nor was he a monkey. Presently, he was a pig spirit changed into a little girl pretending to be a little boy to be offered to a water monster. It was all very simple to a pig spirit."

irateplatypus

surprised this hasn't been referenced...

definitely read and ponder on the book of Proverbs in the Bible's old testament. there are even some proverbs specifically about the attainment of wisdom.

this is a goldmine even if you don't subscribe to christian theology, the book is largely secular.

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If you will not fight when your victory will be sure and not too costly, you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance for survival. There may even be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves.

~ Winston Churchill

Caranthir

My advice is to gain experience from real life activities and/or from ancient texts, like Plato and such.

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I.

asaris

Read as much as you can -- not just philosophy, but literature, non-fiction, newspapers, poetry, etc. It's false that you can only gain wisdom from experience. People who only gain wisdom from experience tend to be just as one-sided as those who only gain wisdom from books. With books, you don't just have to rely on your own experience, but can also gain from the experience of many, many others.

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"Die Deutschen meinen, daß die Kraft sich in Härte und Grausamkeit offenbaren müsse, sie unterwerfen sich dann gerne und mit Bewunderung:[...]. Daß es Kraft giebt in der Milde und Stille, das glauben sie nicht leicht."

"The Germans believe that power must reveal itself in hardness and cruelty and then submit themselves gladly and with admiration[...]. They do not believe readily that there is power in meekness and calm."

-- Friedrich Nietzsche

raeanna74

Personally I believe that the more wisdom you gain the more you'll realize how little you know and understand.

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"Always learn the rules so that you can break them properly." Dalai Lama
My Karma just ran over your Dogma.

:::OshnSoul:::

listen and observe more- speak less.
I try.
Know that you already have the wisdom inside you, just be open to the great voice of your own heart & soul.
Wisdom has nothing to do with being right or knowing it all. It is about knowing your Truth and living by it, being yourself without fear.

KellyC

Learn from your mistakes, and others' too, and apply those knowledge in the future...grasshoppa

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Him: Ok, I have to ask, what do you believe?
Me: Shit happens.

filtherton

This isn't directed at anybody in particular...

That being said, just shut the fuck up and listen. Observe. Realize that everything, no matter how small or seemingly irrelevant, has something to teach you about existence on this planet.

Teach yourself how to teach yourself.

TheKak

"Knowledge and wisdom, far from being one, Have ofttimes no connection. Knowledge dwells In heads replete with thoughts of other men; Wisdom, in minds attentive to their own. Knowledge, a rude, unprofitable mass, The mere materials with which wisdom builds, Till smoothed, and squared, and fitted to its place, Does but encumber whom it seems to enrich. Knowledge is proud that he has learned so much; Wisdom is humble that he knows no more."

--Cowper.


IMO, wisdom is a cross between knowledge, experience, and maturity.

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Roses are red, violets are blue, I'm a schizophrenic and so am I.

Mantus

The very first profound lesson that life taught me was thus:

Wisdom cannot be passed on.

Wisdom is experience. It is walking the path. There is knowledge, which others can give you so you may know what’s up ahead and which turns to take but in the end, until you walked the path of wisdom you cannot have it.

tecoyah

#1 tool for gaining wisdom.

Listen....and try to understand all you hear.

It is better to remain silent, and be considered a fool.
Than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.

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Holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned. - Buddha

sexymama

Stay aware, stay open to new ideas, examine your life and the life of others (without judging) determine your own truths and live by them.

Find a mentor.

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If you can go deeply into lovemaking, the ego disappears. That is the beauty of lovemaking, that it is another source of a glimpse of god

It's not about being perfect; it's about developing some skill at managing imperfection.

Thagrastay

James 5:1 If any of you lack wisdom, let them ask God that gives to all liberally and does not withhold, and it will be given them.

"Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."
Fear meaning reverence for; great respect and honor for; love of.

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"That's it! They've got the cuffs on him, he's IN the car!"

filtherton

Wisdom comes from thinking for yourself so it depends on your denomination.

:::OshnSoul:::

I really enjoy and agree with a lot of these posts.
Wisdom IS deeper than knowledge, deeper than the mind.

It forms around experience and how you take on those experiences. Depending on your views, your perception and mindset, and what you do or say in that experience depends on the amount of wisdom you discover within yourself- because you already have that wisdom- it is all the answers you ever need that lie within your Soul. Experience is the most efficient way to discover your wisdom. It takes an open, silent, observant perception to be able to see it. Sometimes we tend to wrap ourselves up in the drama of an experience and miss its message to us. Observe more, listen to your heart more, and know that you have the wisdom and you are in control.

nanofever

Might I suggest a nice +3 to Wisdom amulet? Thanks, I'll be here all week, try the veal its great.

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I'm leaving for the University of California: Santa Barbara in 5 hours, give me your best college advice - things I need, good ideas, bad ideas, nooky, ect.

Originally Posted by Norseman on another forum:
"Yeah, the problem with the world is the stupid people are all cocksure of themselves and the intellectuals are full of doubt."

MSD

Screw up repeatedly and learn from it.

QuasiMojo

about 300 years ago a jesuit scholar by the name of Baltasar Gracian wrote something called "The Art Of WorldLY Wisdom"
an oracle really, it was meant for people of high places but his proverbs and maxims can be appreciated and utilized by people of all walks of life.

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AzAbOv ZoBeLoE