Is Wisdom a Gift from the Gods?

I wrote the following in an earlier post, ‘Will your Journey of Life take you Down the Road to Wisdom or Perdition?’,

‘As the ancient philosophers would say, “Wisdom is a much vaunted prize from the Gods!  Where only a  select few of seasoned competitors, who have trained hard in the sport of virtue, can lay claim to it once they pass all the tests of life.  Upon receiving their prize their minds are then rewarded by being set free to ascend to the very heavens themselves.”’

The Gods may or may not exist but we can become gods of ourselves if we choose to use the gift of wisdom to conquer all mortal obstacles  that dares stand in our way.

Let us now elevate our minds to the heavens so that we may excel in the art of living, which will enlighten us on how to realise a paradise of our own making.

What are the 6 Key Virtues of Wisdom?

There are 6 virtues that we can hope to attain, that’s if we can somehow pass the tests of life – in other words, having the motivation to instigate self-learning toward wisdom.  If this Wisdom can be won then we are sure to be rewarded with a life filled with enlightenment, happiness and serenity.

Let us now look at the virtues that awaits us:

1. (W)ell-being
Wisdom, if embraced, can immensely improve your well-being in all areas of your life not to mention help guide you to overcome any external circumstance that dares to challenge your personal growth. Well-being can enhance your character, health, happiness and prosperity for the better, so cultivating wisdom in your life is imperative.

2. (I)nsight
Wisdom, if embraced, can provide you with the common sense to do the right thing at the right time and in as simple a manner as possible.  This insight or intuition can also help you to perceive the most obscure things with the most pristine clarity, such as with apparent difficulties.  On the surface, many difficulties look insurmountable, but insight can help penetrate and reveal an easy path toward a stress-free solution.

3. (S)elf-knowledge
Wisdom, if embraced, can provide you with this key concept of self-improvement and self-growth.  Self-knowledge can provide you with a deeper understand of yourself, as well as giving you the knowledge to react positively to any external situation that may affect you in your life.

4. (D)evelopment
Wisdom, if embraced, can encourage continuous growth and development in both mind and spirit during your whole lifetime.  Other benefits include developing reason and common sense so that you can be more logical and make better decisions in every situation in life.

5. (O)bservation
Wisdom, if embraced, can enhance your observational skills which can help develop better understanding and awareness of yourself, environment and other human beings in general.

6. (M)eaning
Wisdom, if embraced, can open up avenues for you to find greater meaning in your own life.  Having a purpose in life to fulfill can ultimately give you meaning and something to live for.  This will help to eliminate any pessimistic or apathetic attitudes that you may have in regards your own existence.

How Does One Hope to Win this Material Prize of Wisdom?

1. Invoke continuous self-learning; of yourself, from other sources of beneficial knowledge, and from your surroundings
2. Speak less, listen more
3. Remain independent in thought, humble and objective in everything
4. Learn from your relationship with nature and other human beings
5. Read Books written by the great Ancient Philosophers, such as from Plato’s Socrates, Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, Lao Tzu and Confucius
6. Observe and learn from nature’s workings. There is nothing man-made that can compare to nature in terms of wisdom.
7. Learn from Life’s experiences and past mistakes

Related posts:

1. Search for Meaning in your Life Towards Personal Growth
2. Will your Journey of Life take you Down the Road to Wisdom or Perdition?
3. Jiddu Krishnamurti Points the Way Toward Wisdom
4. Manly P. Hall’s Lessons of Self-Unfoldment (Part 1): Personal Growth
5. Think Your Way to a Successful Life with The Master Key System

The following excerpt is from an interesting article by Donald B Ardell, who feels that we can all learn to develop our minds and achieve general well-being if we applied practical philosophy at the workplace and to our everyday lives.

Ardell calls upon none other than the iconoclastic philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche to demonstrate a key concept in his own philosophy on overcoming difficulties toward finding total fulfillment in life:

‘If REAL wellness were offered at worksite wellness functions, employees would learn life skills large and small, particularly in the areas of philosophy and human happiness. As it is, worksite wellness is largely a medical endeavor focused on risk reduction and prevention, neither of which contributes much to the work setting as a learning environment. If philosophy were on the worksite wellness agenda, workers would have continuous opportunities to increase their capacities for reason, exuberance and liberty toward higher quality of life.

I’m often asked for practical examples of what employees might learn if skills taught included meaning and purpose, global awareness, personal responsibility, happiness, applied ethics and philosophy, to name just a few quality of life-type topics.

Here is one illustration from the rich field of practical philosophy.The example draws on a key concept of Friedrich Nietzsche.’

Read the full article here…

Related posts:

1. Manly P. Hall’s Lessons of Self-Unfoldment (Part 1): Personal Growth
2. Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness (Part 6) – Friedrich Nietzsche
3. Change the World for the Better by Taking Responsibility for all Challenges in Life
4. Attain the 6 Key Virtues of W.I.S.D.O.M and Live a Heavenly Existence
5. Develop a Boxer’s Heart Towards Overcoming Adversity