1. What are the things that are not identical with wisdom? At the start of the new year many people think about what wise decisions they would make along the year. A lot of people identify cleverness or knowledge with wisdom. A lot of people think that it is wise if I surpass my own thoughts and decisions. Affirmation of denial of any of my previous behaviors revolves around me. A lot of people follow another person who thought to be wiser than them and they think that they have found wisdom by doing so. If everyone goes to the same direction then the community will never find any new ways ever... (If you would like to know more about this, please read my essay here.)

2. How can wisdom be approached? The key idea of the ancient wisdom was the golden mean that is refraining from the extremes. If everyone goes right then the wise man goes left. Because it is the appropriate weighting then. The way to wisdom means to experience the diversity of Totality more and more deeply and to be able to choose smartly among the lot of colors. (If you would like to know more about this, please read my essay here.)

3. What is real wisdom? The threshold of real wisdom is when we can sense our human limits. We have to accommodate Totality to be wise. If we enter the love community of the Trinity, we are given such a viewpoint by God that can see through the whole Totality at once. THIS is real wisdom. Wisdom is everywhere – where we do not look for it with our human existence that is closed in itself. It calls after us. I wish all my Readers for the New Year to hear the call of wisdom. (If you would like to know more about this, please read my essay here.)

1. What are the things that are not identical with wisdom?

At the start of the new year many people think about what wise decisions they would make along the year. A lot of people identify cleverness or knowledge with wisdom. These ideas stand at very different stages of the evolution of human life. Even a very little child can be clever. Although we would not say that he is wise (with very few exceptions). In addition, people gaining great knowledge may have a lack of wisdom. (I have met not one or two Nobel Laureates who were thought to be this and that except for wise at all.) A lot of people think that it is wise if I surpass my own thoughts and decisions. It could be an important step on the path leading to wisdom but it is far from reaching the goal. If the fact that "I drink" shows the lack of wisdom, then I would not reach wisdom just by saying "I do not drink". Conversion is not a 180 turn. Synthesis is not antithesis. If I get only to denial it is not wisdom yet. Affirmation of denial of any of my previous behaviors revolves around me. A lot of people follow another person who thought to be wiser than them and they think that they have found wisdom by doing so. This is an illusory situation. It is not sure that a wise person is whom we consider to be wise. If we ourselves lack wisdom, why do we think that we are able to recognize wisdom in other people? And if we follow a wise man who is considered to be wise, why do we think that his way is our way, too? If everyone goes to the same direction then the community will never find any new ways ever...

2. How can wisdom be approached?

One of the quite significant characteristics of the complex systems is that they are able to realize opposite behaviors at the same time. A higher organism perceives and acts at the same time. Thus it is passive and active simultaneously. However, it is necessary to weight the conflicting actions in order to be successful. Proper weighting is wisdom itself. As the Carthusian monks say: "We have to adapt to what we are doing with our entire selves at every moment. If we walk, let’s walk. If we pray, let’s pray. If we watch something, let’s watch it. If we eat, let’s eat. This is the secret of a complete, intensive and rich life." A rabbit either listens or runs (and this, of course, does not mean that it is deaf when running...). The key idea of the ancient wisdom was the golden mean. The golden mean does not mean the popular wisdom of "a little from this and a little from that". The essence of the golden mean is refraining from the extremes. If everyone goes right then the wise man goes left. Because it is the appropriate weighting then. Even if we should go right. In this case the wise man goes left in order to make the community remember how to go left again when exactly this will be necessary. The seemingly contradicting statements of the Bible do not cancel each other out but they demonstrate the diversity of life’s Totality that exceeds ordinary human thinking by far. Contradictions educate us to weight properly that is not an easy task at all. The way to wisdom means to experience the diversity of Totality more and more deeply and to be able to choose smartly among the lot of colors.

3. What is real wisdom?

So what is real wisdom? It is definitely not something that originates from ourselves. We ourselves are too small and too little for real wisdom. The threshold of real wisdom is when we can sense our human limits. We have to accommodate Totality to be wise. Solomon’s parables phrase this as follows: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Proverbs 1:7). If we enter the love community of the Trinity, we are given such a viewpoint by God that can see through the whole Totality at once. THIS is real wisdom. Entering the love community makes us able to feel the harmony of the whole created world and to live with it unitedly. (Our poor, spoiled Earth needs this very much...) Totality’s viewpoint gives the ability of appropriate weighting and puts the things in us and around us exactly their places where they belong. As Solomon’s parables have it: "Wisdom preaches abroad, she uttereth her voice in the streets." (Proverbs 1:20). Wisdom is everywhere – where we do not look for it with our human existence that is closed in itself. It calls after us. Its call invites us to leave our own egos and to enter the love community. I wish all my Readers for the New Year to hear the call of wisdom.