A few days ago I came across a sentence by Socrates. When I come across the points I pay attention to in my book, I involuntarily pay attention. Today I saw a video on the same subject, so I thought I would share a short piece with you.
The subject is wisdom. When it comes to wisdom, Confucius actually comes to mind. Here is a quote that I think belongs to him:
”True wisdom is knowing what you don't know.”
In fact, there is a modest point here that should not be overlooked. Also, I can say this phrase, but I think it is necessary to be at a certain level (whatever that threshold is) in order to mean it literally.
Let us return to Socrates. As a sentence that could sum up his philosophical approach to this subject, we have the following, which is very similar to the one above:
“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”
More famously, the following sentence is used in the defence of Socrates in Plato's “Apology”:
"I know one thing, that I know nothing.”
Photo by Felipe Pérez Lamana on Unsplash
In later times, the wise playwright and poet William Shakespeare must have felt the need to make an addition about wisdom by including the following sentence in his comedy “As You Like It”.
"The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.”
Wisdom is also associated with the state of being conscious.
The video I came across today was by Slavoj Zizek, one of the philosophers of our time. He is popular but not much liked, like everyone who falls into popular culture. Because it is the popular who is in the foreground, who is more in people's eyes in a good or bad context. For me it is not important who he is and what he says, but what he means and in what way. For me, the essence of philosophy is to spend time thinking about ways of thinking. At least I like philosophy more when I think about it that way.
You can access the video link here. If this is the first video you have seen of him, I must say that yes, this is the way he speaks.
Without directly paraphrasing, the video explains that different perspectives on the same subject can all sound wise at the same time. He illustrates this with an example sentence:
Firstly, he says that the pursuit of worldly pleasures is meaningless and that the only true fulfilment is in eternity.
Secondly, he says that it is wisdom to grasp what we have here and now rather than chase after eternity.
Thirdly, he says that it is true wisdom to see eternity in temporary, momentary pleasures.
Finally, he says that it is wisdom to stay between these two extremes and accept it.
In short, he touches on every possibility. He points out that each of them actually sounds logical, rational and wise, while emphasising that real wisdom can seem wise when presented in the right tone and context.
“Who knows more, the well-travelled or the well-read?”
The traveller knows.
The one who reads knows.
The one who reads while travelling knows.
The one who balances travelling and reading knows.
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