Shattered Truth

Playing the Game of Wisdom

What is wisdom? Like the stupid, we know when we see it. But because wisdom manifests in so many ways, can not adequately defined in a nutshell. Short dictionary definitions highlight some of the characteristics of wisdom as "successful trial, "a capacity to judge," and "the ability to discern inner qualities and relationships," but not reach the merits.

Joseph W. Meeker 's eloquent and concise about the wisdom is much more enlightening:

"Wisdom is a state of the human mind that is characterized by the deep knowledge and deep understanding. Often, though not necessarily, accompanied by extensive formal knowledge. Uneducated people can acquire wisdom, and rational people is reflected among carpenters, fishermen, or housewives. Wherever there, the wisdom is presented as a perception of the relativity and relationships between things. It is an awareness of wholeness that does not lose sight of particularity or concreteness, or the complexity of relationships. It is where left and right brain come together in a union of logic and poetry and sensitivity and awareness of himself when he is not in contradiction with the consciousness of the otherness of world. Wisdom can not be confined to a specialized field, nor is it an academic discipline, is the consciousness of wholeness and integrity that transcends both. Wisdom is the complexity understood and accepted the relationship. [1]

Wisdom is internal, embodied by people. Words of wisdom derived from it. behavior it appears rational. But wisdom itself is not its products. Wisdom is a mode of knowledge – which is rooted in perspectives, interpretations and values. Wisdom is not events themselves, is the meaning of the context of the facts related. This is the importance of the facts and implications. Wisdom is a kind of meta-knowledge that helps us make better sense of the rest of our knowledge. Wisdom does this by relating our knowledge every day ordinary to a variety of contexts, and consider a variety of illuminating perspectives. Among the points of view are:

Self-knowledge the perspective of wise people have more of a common understanding of themselves. They are aware of their strengths and weaknesses and have developed "Solutions" to stay out of trouble. Because we have paid attention to how their own minds work, they are better able to understand the processes of the mind of others.

The laws of nature, contemplate the prospect of doing things in the physical world and wonder: Will it work? What will the consequences of doing this? In such circumstances, a basic knowledge of scientific laws can sometimes lead to a better, wiser, decisions.

Of-life perspectives Laws If we are attentive, possibly meaning some general rules that apply in our relationships with others: sexual infidelity almost always hurts someone. Harsh words hang up. Rarely adopt other people's lists of dos and don'ts, but looking at these truths of general application for ourselves that can help guide our actions.

The perspective of the system's perspective on reality is a powerful tool for understanding the world around us. The complexity of the natural world emerges as a hierarchy of natural systems or holons which have the property of being a whole in its systemic own part or a system component to the next level in the hierarchy. The hierarchy of the physical movements of the systems of subatomic particles of atoms the molecules of the crystals and cells, living organisms, then the ecosystems, the biosphere, the solar system, galaxy and universe. In another branch this hierarchy, human beings start communicating with each other and give birth to the systems we call societies, economies, and nations.

Perspective What is the evolutionary universe up? Where does humanity fit in? Have we become agents of the evolutionary process? Some scholars have developed an understanding of our contexts and cosmic evolution and found it useful to observe the human condition of this "big picture" view.

The complexity of causation perspective "There's a human tendency to simplify causality. We chose a key element in a situation and call it "La Causa" when in fact there are thousands of elements – a whole array of causality – with roots going back to the origin of the universe.

Larger-the identity and the "unity" prospects as a person develops psychologically and spiritually, their sense of identity tends to expand. Their circle of concern and widens the identity of me, for us – and for the few, the whole universe and its underlying terrain.

The finitude of life "perspective" Time is the raw material of our lives, and awareness of our eventual death helps us keep our life on track and avoid significant effect, lose their lives deviations.

A series of "high value" perspective "The most profound values of wise people are points of view from which to view life situations and the world: Is this fair? Is this true? Is this caring and compassionate? Etc.

THE ROLE OF VALUES IN THE WAYS

Nicholas Maxwell has wisdom called "the ability to do what is of value in life for oneself and others." [2] embracing the "high" or "superior" values is a hallmark of wisdom. High values have two roles in the lives of wise people. First, provide those illuminating bends data on life. Secondly, guide the decision-making process toward wiser decisions.

Human decision making is a largely unconscious process in which a constantly changing hierarchy of internalized values interacts with a constant reminder perceived change in circumstances and recovered. Some values, such as survival and reproduction, are wires. Other values and their position in the hierarchy of values, are the product of life experience and influences to which we have been exposed. At one point our decisions are made by the combined action of:

1. The brain-mind process currently in charge

2. The hierarchy of the priorities of value that exists at the time
3. The perceived nature of the situation requiring a decision
4. The memories of similar or related situations

With regard to a subject above, there are three different processes of the mind-brain, each with its own hierarchy Securities:

• The instinctive / reactive process in the early parts of our brain to evolve – the structures of the brainstem and the limbic system and change-resistant programming
• The intellectual process: Generally centered in the left hemisphere of the neocortex
• The intuitive process: Less clear, but usually associated with right hemisphere nonverbal

These processes and values of working together to make our decisions and control of our behavior in the same way your computer hardware and software work together to make decisions and control the computer results. We can see three processes of the mind-brain as the hardware of our system of control of behavior. And the internalization of values that each process uses up the heart of software.

If you ask someone to the list of personal values in order of relative importance is likely to get a list with some pretty impressive things about it. However, if we look dispassionately that person's behavior, which soon might become apparent that his deep, internalized, operational values are not the same as their professed values – Or at least not have the stated priority. People always looks best, and that "the best" is determined by how the hierarchy of internalized values interacts with the brain / mind 's evaluation of the past, present and foreseeable future circumstances. As Nobel laureate Roger Sperry said, "Human values … … can be viewed objectively as universal determinants in human decision making. All decisions boil down to a choice between alternatives of what is most valued, for any reason, and are determined by the particular value system that prevails. "[3] Higher values, the values of the wise," produce superior decisions and superior behavior.

The self and the ego that transcends the people who the psychologist Abraham Maslow studied were wise people, Maslow and reports about their behavior and mentality tells us much about the nature of wisdom and values that underpin it. auto-updaters Maslow focused on concerns outside of himself, but he liked the solitude and privacy more than the average person, and tended to be more detached than ordinary from the dictates and expectations of their culture. They were people from the center than indicated. They are creative, too, and appreciated the world around them with a sense of awe and wonder. In relations of love that respects the individuality of others and felt joy in another hit. They gave more love than most people, and needs less. Central in his life was a set of values that Maslow called the Being-values, or B-values: integrity, perfection, completion, justice, vitality, richness, simplicity, beauty, kindness, originality, no effort, joy, truth, honesty, reality, self-sufficiency.

Wise wise values are expressed in attitudes and ways of being sound and performance. Among the expressions based on the value of wisdom that speak loudly to me are:

• Feeling fully responsible one of life choices and actions
• A positive result, "we get the most out of it" attitude
• A reality search, the search for the truth of guidance
• A desire to learn, and a sense of responsibility for their own learning
• A desire to grow, to develop, "to become all that I am capable of becoming"
• Be careful: both mind and events mental processes, as well as what is happening around us
• Be creative: the production of uniqueness and novelty that has value
• Being a person of two cerebral hemisphere, with the intellect and intuition working together
• Be disciplined: able to work for a more rewarding afternoon
• Being courageous: able to cope with the dangers and fears with clarity and skill
• Being aware of one's death to the extent possible that helps guide the life of a
• Being able to deal with situations appropriately, using a wide range of approaches and techniques. The choice the approach that best suits each situation: appropriate planning, timing, appropriate problem solving, dealing with commitments appropriately, etc.
• The non reactive: able to deal skillfully with powerful emotions
• Deeply loved, and able to express love properly
• Having a sense of wonder
• Be compassionate
• Behave in ways that benefit others
• Possessing a deep happiness is independent of the external
• Recognizing that there are limits to personal knowledge and the ability of our species known

The world does not is divided into wise and prudent people. None of us is perfectly wise or unwise completely. We are wise to the extent that the characteristics as those mentioned above are part of us, as they really live. The specific qualities that are developed will be different in kind and degree from person to person, and this results in the wisdom of every wise person is the distinctive character or "flavor."

WISDOM IN DEVELOPMENT

The good news is that the acquisition of wisdom is not something we leave to the whims of fate, like many in the past have assumed. If we want to be more wise people, we can develop the characteristics of wisdom and incorporate them into our lives. The bad news is that we are quite alone in this. It would be nice if we lived in a culture-building wisdom – one in which Each institution is dedicated to helping us become wiser. But we do not. So how do we become more prudent people? In summary,

• exposing ourselves to wisdom-fostering influences, and
• intentionally exercise, with effort, behaviors and attitudes that expect a day become effortless expressions of our deepest, truest self.

THE ROLE OF INFLUENCES

If we do not like the values that have internalized to date or particular mental process which is the last word, then we have to change things. We are surrounded by influences that push us towards behavior normal and ordinary ways of thinking. But it need not be prisoners of ordinary, you can change the balance of influence. Intentionally, may increase our exposure to the influences positive – the influences that promote and reinforce the kind of changes we are trying to do. We can, for example:

Hang out with people already living the values that we would do ours. "Where are these people? Groups that focus on personal growth and doing good in the world are a bet probable. Among these are some open-minded, not doctrinaire religious groups like the Unitarians, Quakers, and Buddhists. local and online discussion groups and other activists are possibility. Some of them focus on psychological or spiritual growth. Others focus on various social issues. We can experiment, and when we find a group that feels However, to get involved.

To learn more about the nature and development of wisdom. As a starting point you may want to visit the page Wisdom, "a collection of resources related to knowledge" (A link to it appears with author information at the end of this article.)

Read biographies of exceptional people. Your local library has many of these, and the librarian would like to suggest some good.

Learn the experiences of others. People around us are struggling to level up their lives – some with skill and success, others very clumsily and unsuccessfully. The world of literature, and movies too, we have a number of additional life stories. What can we learn from them? Can we select strategies and behaviors that work and those who do not? Can we start to feel some "laws of life" behind the details?

Be wise open to those that activate and motivate. Two times in my life sets of words have resonated so deeply with me that initiated significant life changes. The first was a statement by Etienne de Grellet, a 19th century Quaker, I've found as a college student:

"I shall pass through this world but once. Therefore, if there is anything good I can do or any kindness I can show, I want it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, I shall not pass by this way again. "

The second turning point, the decision to pursue my own psychological / spiritual development, was provoked by the words "Become all they are capable of becoming" a business seminar on Abraham Maslow's theory of motivation.

There was also a third set of words. It did not change the direction of my life, but confirmed and clarified it. It is Goethe's admonition: "Go and dare before you die."

THE ROLE OF PRACTICE

Be clear about the values we would like in the center of our lives – the values we want to truly our own way deep and powerful – is the first step. The next challenge is to translate these values from our head to our heart and our guts. In psychological terms, there to internalize what they are not only pleasant thoughts, but actually guide our behavior. Doing this requires effort, and during one of his trips to North America, the Dalai Lama gave an example of what we have to do. He went to a hearing on the need to internalize all the key value of wisdom, compassion. Her advice to those who wanted to develop compassion was to put in difficult situations, and then, despite the natural reluctance to do, act with compassion. By making the effort to engage in a values-based action – again and again and again – eventually internalize the value. Expressing the value in action gradually takes less effort and less until it becomes part of our perspective, part of our natural way of being, part of what we are.

Becoming a wise person is an exercise in inner development, and there are activities that can help us on the road. Counselling and other forms of psychotherapy can, if necessary, help us reach the starting point for advanced work we might call responsible adulthood or mature ego. A person at this stage is free of psychoses and crippling neuroses and has developed emotional control and empathy in ordinary degree. To help us move beyond this stage we need other resources. Many people start with writings that discuss the scope beyond the human development. The writings, in turn, lead us to practice "do it yourself" quieting the mind-practices, practices of self-knowledge, self-transcending practices and conduct practices unit.

It is widely recognized that the fast track to self-knowledge and other important aspects of wisdom is meditation – particularly the class dedicated to the exploration of mind / body process, variously called the attention, vipassana, or insight meditation.

On a larger scale WISDOM

This test was focused on what I call life centered on the wisdom – the wisdom that leads to a happier, more productive life and more harmonious personal relations interpersonal. But there is also great chaotic world out there that needs all the wise guidance you can get. I have written elsewhere about a change the wisdom theme that seems particularly suitable for the beginning of rational action in the political, economic, and the sands of the biosphere. I called deep understanding. In short, this coupling of wisdom development process just described with the acquisition of relevant intellectual knowledge world problems. To come to grips with the major scientific, social, and economic factors affecting the current world situation, we should all be knowledgeable more comprehensive. In my view, we can effectively address problems of humanity only if we have a deep and broad understanding of the context in establishing the problems. This includes knowledge of the systemic nature of the cosmos, the evolutionary process in its most general sense, conscience, human cultures, economic systems, and some of the most important principles, laws and regularities that underlie functioning in all these areas.

If this wider application of wisdom interests you, you can visit the Wisdom.'ll find a compilation of wisdom-related resources – various on-line texts on wisdom, references to books about wisdom, information on organizations that promote wisdom, wise activities, and listserv groups concerned with aspects of wisdom. (A click on link to the site appears to the author information below).

References

[1] The landscape, Vol 25, No. 1, January 1981
[2] From Maxwell is the book of Nicholas Science Neurotic?, London: Imperial College Press, 2004, p. 119
[3] Since Roger Sperry's article "Bridging science and values: a unifying vision of the mind and brain, "American Psychologist, April, 1977, p. 237

About the Author

Copthorne Macdonald is a writer and independent scholar. His interests include the nature of reality (including consciousness and mind) and the development of wisdom. He has written extensively in these areas, and his published writing to date includes 8 books (3 on the subject of wisdom) and over 130 shorter pieces. Since 1995 he has tended The Wisdom Page — a website devoted to wisdom resources.

Evolution and Infidelity