In the Carafa Chapel in the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome, there is a statue of the revered Catholic figure St Thomas Aquinas with the Latin inscription, Sapientiam sapientum perdam. The inscription translates as “I shall destroy the wisdom of the wise”. Who were the wise? The wise were scientists and philosophers Read more
One of the big challenges of our time is to not let ourselves by drowned in bits and pieces of information. Information is very important. But on its own information is not wisdom. It isn’t even knowledge until it is properly sifted and researched. Wisdom is the ability to discern and judge how knowledge applies Read more
As part of the elderly population, we are aware of the publicity given people our age. Most of the news is focussed on welfare issues, while increased advertising suggests there is money to be made retirement villages, rest homes and funerals. Very little is said about the gifts of wisdom that can come only with Read more
If we believe that everything on this earth is a teacher, then we’ll probably acknowledge that some of the most beautiful lessons come from children who are still close to heaven. We, who have grown away from that clear-sighted state, are sometimes surprised back to it, by a simple comment from a child. My son Read more
“The most important knowledge is that which guides the way you lead your life.” On March 15, 1884, Leo Tolstoy, wrote in his diary: “I have to create a circle of reading for myself: Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, Lao-Tzu, Buddha, Pascal, The New Testament. This is also necessary for all people.” So he set out to Read more
Wisdom is high on the list of personal qualities we prize. Yet even though most of us recognise that being wise is entirely different from other markers of success — such as being rich or famous or even a genius — wisdom is a difficult quality to define. Do we truly understand what it takes Read more