Wisdom is the ability to make sound decisions and judgments from knowledge and experience. Philosophy in Greek comes from the word philo– ‘love’ and sophos = ‘wisdom’ or love of wisdom. It’s about perpetual learning of what is true to us and the world. One of the main reasons why we need to seek wisdom is that majority of our sufferings came from our long-withheld beliefs. With wisdom, we challenge these beliefs and adopt a new one that will make us become a better person. In the context of Stoicism, for example, let’s say that we hold a belief that the world ought to be in a perfect place; that we ought to be happy all the time, and that people should behave the way we want them to be. We then become very reactive to slight disturbances and if we don’t challenge the ‘perfect world’ model in our mind we will suffer perpetually. However, knowing the truth that the world is never going to be perfect; that we will feel discomfort in a lot of situations, and that fate will not always be in our favor, we become less reactive and will have peace of mind. Just observe how philosophy like Stoicism makes you feel a lot better.
Top Quotes About Wisdom From The Ancient Stoics
1. “If anyone can refute me—show me I’m making a mistake or looking at things from the wrong perspective—I’ll gladly change. It’s the truth I’m after, and the truth never harmed
anyone. What harms us is to persist in self-deceit and ignorance.” Meditations
2. “It is clear to you, I am sure, Lucilius, that no man can live a happy life, or even a supportable life, without the study of wisdom; you know also that a happy life is reached when our wisdom is brought to completion, but that life is at least endurable even when our wisdom is only begun” Letters from a Stoic
3. “Why of your own accord postpone your real life to the distant future? Shall you wait for some interest to fall due, or for some income on your merchandise, or for a place in the will of some wealthy old man, when you can be rich here and now. Wisdom offers wealth in ready money, and pays it over to those in whose eyes she has made wealth superfluous” Letters from a Stoic
4. ““What is wisdom? Always desiring the same things, and always refusing the same things… Since no man can always be satisfied with the same thing, unless it is right.” Letters from a Stoic