Wisdom

Many people who have known me for a while are familiar with my passion for quotes. And those who have been in deep conversation with me while I've been at my computer have probably seen a piece or portion of my "collection," so to speak. I gather quotes from everywhere and anywhere. Some from philosophers, others from authors, and several even from the people around me. This quote is definitely among my favorites, and not because Confucius said it.

I agree with it, too. It very much makes sense. There may or may not be more ways to learn wisdom, or it is possible that wisdom cannot be learned, and it ultimately comes down to your definition of wisdom. But I'm not going to linger over the technicalities like I usually do, and I'll just move right on to how this all plays out in real life.

Reflection. I'm not sure why it's the noblest, but it does take a certain amount of skill to solve a problem merely by thinking about it. I do reflect. I spend hours upon hours reflecting about life, people, the world, and whatnot else.

Imitation. Certainly the easiest. It's the way children learn things growing up. They see their parents doing something and learn to do it the same way. I guess I imitate as well...it would probably be sad if I didn't considering just how much I watch people and try to figure out their thoughts.

Experience. This is where the quote really strikes home to me. It definitely is the bitterest, because there you go through everything, feel every emotion...you don't just watch it from the sidelines and understand that it was a stupid decision. This is how I live my life. I experience things, I make mistakes, and I learn from them.

There have been countless times when I have been aware of foolish choices I was about to make, but didn't stop them. And I learned--I learned the hard, painful, bitter way that some actions are better not taken, some words are better not said, and some thoughts are better not revealed. I could have come to that conclusion, or perhaps I already had, by imitation or reflection. But I didn't. In the end, I chose the path of experience for myself.

But why? When I could have done it "nobly," or "easily," why did I have to do it "bitterly?" Am I such a masochist that I adore the pain that comes of making life hard for myself? I doubt it. I've called myself an emotional masochist before, but the label may have been mistaken. I don't intentionally put myself into situations to cause myself pain...rather I perhaps inch closer to them because I love the challenge, the danger. Maybe that's why I choose to live my life through experience rather than imitation--because it's more interesting. The greater the risk, the greater the reward. And I do risk. I've come to love taking the plunge, even if I end up sorely bruised in the process. That's just how I like my life, I guess.