In solitary search of knowledge, we rob ourselves of perspective and walk past in ignorance the wisdom of experience. Several debates in my life right now have made this statement poignant to me on many levels. It reminds me that most of my issues on the grand scheme of things are minor compared to the problems many others are facing in the world today. It helps to remind me to listen more. And it reminds me of the important distinction between knowledge and wisdom, IQ and EQ. I pray that I can remember what Bonhoeffer calls the "danger" of missing the "essential" in ever expanding knowledge. "To understand reality is not the same as to know about outward events. It is to perceive the essential nature of things. The best-informed man is not necessarily the wisest. Indeed there is a danger that precisely in the multiplicity of his knowledge he will lose sight of what is essential. But on the other hand, knowledge of an apparently trivial detail quite often makes it possible to see into the depth of things. And so the wise man will seek to acquire the best possible knowledge about events, but always without becoming dependent upon this knowledge. To recognize the significant in the factual is wisdom." ~Dietrich Bonhoeffer, German Theologian "It is no longer enough to be smart -- all the technological tools in the world add meaning and value only if they enhance our core values, the deepest part of our heart. Acquiring knowledge is no guarantee of practical, useful application. Wisdom implies a mature integration of appropriate knowledge, a seasoned ability to filter the inessential from the essential." "Wisdom is the reward for a lifetime of listening ... when you'd have preferred to talk." |
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