Are You a “Wise Man”?

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oppositeman

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Almost all of us make quick judgments – forming opinions and beliefs, based on what we perceive as “truth”. We don’t want to believe that what we believe is a “lie”. We take little or no time investigating whether or not something we hear or read is actually the truth – saying we don’t have time, or it’s not important enough to bother with, or that it doesn’t affect my life.

So, when we do this, we run the risk of accepting a lie as truth. By accepting one lie at a time, we build up a “mountain of lies” accepting them as truth. As this mountain grows, it has the devastating effect of distorting our understanding and perception of reality, affecting every aspect of our lives and well as the well-being of our country. By being passive, for whatever reason, we condone lies as truth.

Is this what a “Wise Man” would do?

I don’t think so. It seems to me a “Wise Man” would search for the truth with an open mind and heart and accept the truth regardless of his liking or agreeing with it. He would then incorporate the truth he has learned into his mind and heart and actively project living and speaking the truth into his everyday dealings, so as to become a “light of truth” to others.

Unless we are willing to invest the time and energy into being “seekers of truth” we, personally, and our country will continue to be destroyed by lies; the only outcome being the eventual collapse and destruction of our society.

A society built on lies has no solid foundation; and our silence is making it so.
 
oppositeman said:
Almost all of us make quick judgments – forming opinions and beliefs, based on what we perceive as “truth”. We don’t want to believe that what we believe is a “lie”. We take little or no time investigating whether or not something we hear or read is actually the truth – saying we don’t have time, or it’s not important enough to bother with, or that it doesn’t affect my life.

So, when we do this, we run the risk of accepting a lie as truth. By accepting one lie at a time, we build up a “mountain of lies” accepting them as truth. As this mountain grows, it has the devastating effect of distorting our understanding and perception of reality, affecting every aspect of our lives and well as the well-being of our country. By being passive, for whatever reason, we condone lies as truth.

Is this what a “Wise Man” would do?

I don’t think so. It seems to me a “Wise Man” would search for the truth with an open mind and heart and accept the truth regardless of his liking or agreeing with it. He would then incorporate the truth he has learned into his mind and heart and actively project living and speaking the truth into his everyday dealings, so as to become a “light of truth” to others.

Unless we are willing to invest the time and energy into being “seekers of truth” we, personally, and our country will continue to be destroyed by lies; the only outcome being the eventual collapse and destruction of our society.

A society built on lies has no solid foundation; and our silence is making it so.
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Is this just something to think about, or are you asking a question?
 
Our human heads are hard wired to accept what we see or hear as truth.

This makes lying really a kind of betrayal.

ICXC NIKA
 
Jake_Hansen said:
Is this just something to think about, or are you asking a question?
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both - there is a question there that people can give their opinions on if they want - perhaps some will disagree with me. And it is something to think about if one wants to - I wish everyone in the world would think about it and then wake up and take the time to search for the truth in all areas of their lives, and then become active in combating all the lies we ingest.
 
GEddie said:
Our human heads are hard wired to accept what we see or hear as truth.

This makes lying really a kind of betrayal.

ICXC NIKA
Click to expand...
this may or may not be partially or even completely true - I don’t know (the hard wiring) And, yes, lying is a betrayal - it is focused on selfishness and self-gain. People in this country, especially, should be very aware of what they are told by, for example, the news media. We need to realize that many people, especially those that hold title and have influence, have an agenda that is not in the best interests of others. We fail to learn our history lessons - this has been true since the dawn of civilization.
 
oppositeman said:
Almost all of us make quick judgments – forming opinions and beliefs, based on what we perceive as “truth”. We don’t want to believe that what we believe is a “lie”. We take little or no time investigating whether or not something we hear or read is actually the truth – saying we don’t have time, or it’s not important enough to bother with, or that it doesn’t affect my life.

So, when we do this, we run the risk of accepting a lie as truth. By accepting one lie at a time, we build up a “mountain of lies” accepting them as truth. As this mountain grows, it has the devastating effect of distorting our understanding and perception of reality, affecting every aspect of our lives and well as the well-being of our country. By being passive, for whatever reason, we condone lies as truth.

Is this what a “Wise Man” would do?

I don’t think so. It seems to me a “Wise Man” would search for the truth with an open mind and heart and accept the truth regardless of his liking or agreeing with it. He would then incorporate the truth he has learned into his mind and heart and actively project living and speaking the truth into his everyday dealings, so as to become a “light of truth” to others.

Unless we are willing to invest the time and energy into being “seekers of truth” we, personally, and our country will continue to be destroyed by lies; the only outcome being the eventual collapse and destruction of our society.

A society built on lies has no solid foundation; and our silence is making it so.
Click to expand...
Ever since Adam bought into the first lie, human life has inovlved a partnership with lies and half-truths. We’re hear to learn to come into the light and walk in it, transparent and innocent, to the extent that this is even possible in this world. That’s the purpose of our faith, why Jesus came, ultimately for us to learn how and why Adam was wrong, so we may turn back to God, the very Source of Truth. Until then we’re all lost.
 
oppositeman said:
this may or may not be partially or even completely true - I don’t know (the hard wiring) And, yes, lying is a betrayal - it is focused on selfishness and self-gain. People in this country, especially, should be very aware of what they are told by, for example, the news media. We need to realize that many people, especially those that hold title and have influence, have an agenda that is not in the best interests of others. We fail to learn our history lessons - this has been true since the dawn of civilization.
Click to expand...
The hard wiring in our heads was discovered via psychological testing.

I do not have the abstracts, but IMS, subjects would recall textual statements as true when questioned, even when told in advance that certain statements would be false.

ICXC NIKA
 
Would it be wise for anyone to profess that he is a wise man? :confused:

Wisdom is something we should pursue, but it tends to come with age and study.

Some learn the lessons life has taught them, and some refuse to learn them.

Santayana said those who refuse to study history are doomed to repeat it.

I think it’s entirely possible that those who study history are also doomed to repeat it. 🤷
 
Charlemagne_III said:
Would it be wise for anyone to profess that he is a wise man? :confused:

Wisdom is something we should pursue, but it tends to come with age and study.

Some learn the lessons life has taught them, and some refuse to learn them.

Santayana said those who refuse to study history are doomed to repeat it.

I think it’s entirely possible that those who study history are also doomed to repeat it. 🤷
Click to expand...
Wisdom resides in our heads, along with our treasured memories and the multiplication table, but can be acquired only by living life. Many do not get there.

And because history is the story of the collective, even those who study it will repeat it, if those who lead their society do not study it.

Fortunately, history does not repeat precisely. The world cannot afford another Third Reich.

ICXC NIKA.
 
GEddie said:
The hard wiring in our heads was discovered via psychological testing.

I do not have the abstracts, but IMS, subjects would recall textual statements as true when questioned, even when told in advance that certain statements would be false.

ICXC NIKA
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even so - let’s not think we have no choice in believing or not believing something - how many people believe that our politicians are honest and have our best interests at heart? We all have inclinations to believe things that reinforce our already present preconceived ideas but, I think, we must still choose to believe them.
 
Charlemagne_III said:
Would it be wise for anyone to profess that he is a wise man? :confused:

Wisdom is something we should pursue, but it tends to come with age and study.

Some learn the lessons life has taught them, and some refuse to learn them.

Santayana said those who refuse to study history are doomed to repeat it.

I think it’s entirely possible that those who study history are also doomed to repeat it. 🤷
Click to expand...
ha ha - well the question isn’t if you are a wise man but rather is this what a wise man would do - big difference. It a persons choice to believe what they want, regardless - many times lies make us feel better and can take us “off the hook” as far as doing our part to combat the lie with what you believe is the truth. Anyway, we should all pray to God for Holy Wisdom (perhaps some would rather remain ignorant but that’s their choice)
 
oppositeman said:
Almost all of us make quick judgments – forming opinions and beliefs, based on what we perceive as “truth”. We don’t want to believe that what we believe is a “lie”. We take little or no time investigating whether or not something we hear or read is actually the truth – saying we don’t have time, or it’s not important enough to bother with, or that it doesn’t affect my life.

So, when we do this, we run the risk of accepting a lie as truth. By accepting one lie at a time, we build up a “mountain of lies” accepting them as truth. As this mountain grows, it has the devastating effect of distorting our understanding and perception of reality, affecting every aspect of our lives and well as the well-being of our country. By being passive, for whatever reason, we condone lies as truth.

Is this what a “Wise Man” would do?

I don’t think so. It seems to me a “Wise Man” would search for the truth with an open mind and heart and accept the truth regardless of his liking or agreeing with it. He would then incorporate the truth he has learned into his mind and heart and actively project living and speaking the truth into his everyday dealings, so as to become a “light of truth” to others.
Click to expand...
Here’s a short video by Derek Muller of Veritasium which relates to this problem.

youtube.com/watch?v=AcX3IW00nuk

But the thing that I find most interesting, is that in spite of your awareness of this phenomenon, it still says Roman Catholic in the upper right hand corner of your post. Surely you must be aware of how hypocritical this appears. Most everyone believes that their position is the correct one. That they’ve been sincere in their evaluation of the evidence. And yet in spite of this sincere effort, we still disagree. And we still feel the need to be as zealous in defense of our beliefs, as others are in defense of theirs. And that’s where the problem lies. Not that we err, for we are human, but rather that we choose to defend those errors with such passion.

The real measure of a person isn’t the inerrancy of their knowledge, but the humility with which they’re willing to defend it. Arrogance in defense of one’s beliefs is easy, it’s humility that’s hard.

In the end, before any real search for the truth can begin, one must first be willing to accept that they may not have already found it.

I wonder, are you willing to do that? If not, how are you any different than anyone else?
 
GEddie said:
Wisdom resides in our heads, along with our treasured memories and the multiplication table, but can be acquired only by living life. Many do not get there.

And because history is the story of the collective, even those who study it will repeat it, if those who lead their society do not study it.

Fortunately, history does not repeat precisely. The world cannot afford another Third Reich.

ICXC NIKA.
Click to expand...
God can and does infuse Holy Wisdom into some peoples heads but otherwise you have to work at it - gaining true knowledge which gives you understanding and that leads to some worldly wisdom but perhaps not Holy Wisdom. There are some who, if correct, believe that the second coming of Christ is not far off and if that happens it will be preceded by the reign of the antichrist - who doesn’t kill the body but steals the soul - a far more terrible outcome. At the speed at which this country is headed downhill who knows what things will be like in 5 years or even 3 years. Personally, I look for an economic crash soon - a big one - all the debt will catch up with us.
 
oppositeman said:
God can and does infuse Holy Wisdom into some peoples heads but otherwise you have to work at it - gaining true knowledge which gives you understanding and that leads to some worldly wisdom but perhaps not Holy Wisdom.
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This is a very good point. There are many who are filled with worldly wisdom who are completely lacking in holy wisdom. Bertrand Russell comes to mind as one I admire for worldly wisdom but I don’t admire at all for his lack of holy wisdom.,
 
Partinobodycula said:
The real measure of a person isn’t the inerrancy of their knowledge, but the humility with which they’re willing to defend it. Arrogance in defense of one’s beliefs is easy, it’s humility that’s hard.
Click to expand...
So true. Socrates charms us by his insistence that he lacks wisdom, then turns around and shows us how insightful he can really be. 👍
 
porthos11 said:
Reminds me of a question raised in another place:

Why is a wise man good, and a wise guy bad?
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The first is humble, while the second is arrogant.

The wise man knows the limits of his knowledge.

The wise guy only knows he is a know-it-all. 🤷
 
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