Words of Wisdom redux

 

 Words of Wisdom was a blog post on my site on November 10, 2021.

It is repeated here in compliance with my stated intent to share nominations by my readers of worthy expressions of wisdom and philosophy . . .

Of which there is a decided paucity. The comment appended to the post reveals the only response. Thank you, Debbie.

In any population there are characteristics which manifest across a spectrum.

One of these properties is wisdom. It is distributed by an indifferent nature in a wide range of capabilities. Some functioning groups assume an air of superiority that is not always justified. A particular profession is noted as presuming to be “just a little lower than the angels.” Vocal critics may challenge that self-aggrandisement.

Authors — those who wrote books intended to be consumed by the general public — display a span of competence. Some unabashedly borrow from the intellect of others.

Novels that I have read which put forth a gem of wisdom include “The Heart of Danger” by Howard Pease:

“Go straight to the heart of danger, for there you will find safety.” (Chinese Proverb)

Another is the Basuto proverb presented in “Something of Value” by Robert Ruark.

“If a man does away with his traditional way of living and throws away his good customs, he had better first make certain that he has something of value to replace them.”

These enduring axioms have lived in my soul for decades.

Invitation to my readers: if you can provide a preface of worth from a book you've read, please quote it in the comments. I will list submissions in a future blog.

Comments:

Debbie said…

I love this one quote, "Writing lets us live life twice -- once physically and once interpretively." by Alan J. Wright

November 10, 2021