Reflect, Imitate and Experience Wisdom

Living with Wisdom

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By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.

Confucius

Wisdom cannot be taught, some people say, it must be learned, but could it be taught? Perhaps there are websites where you could learn all about wisdom, with easy guides and quick notes. However, the best wisdom is gained through our life experiences. When we do something the wrong way, we want to get it done properly, so we try and try again till we succeed. However, there are so many of us, who just “throw in the towel” and walk away, because we feel that we are unable to do it.

I remember, the time I joined my second job, in a library as a teenager, I needed to add book titles and the names of authors, onto the spines of freshly bound books. It was with the use of a metallic pen, that was attached to a power source, and a special transfer roll, a white-cellophane tape for books with black spines and gold transfer tapes for books with red leather bindings. The first day, I tried using the metal pen, it would get really hot, and burned by fingertips. By the second or third day, I had got used to doing the spine-writing onto the bound books and was really excited to see, the titles and names of authors, on the spines, appear as if by magic.

When there is usually a problem that needs to be solved. I usually think about all the alternatives and their possible outcomes. It is only after this brainstorming is done, that I move ahead to do the job. Experience can be a sweet, bitter or a bittersweet experience. However, it is always up to us to do what needs to be done in life. Wisdom is gained, after we have lived, loved and worked through all or some of life’s experiences, which are offered to us. We do not all have the same experience in life, but we do have similar life experiences, and we also have shared experiences.

According to Confucius, there are three ways in which you could learn wisdom, the first, is by reflection on the experiences of life, the second is by imitation, or pretending to be wise or using wisdom provided by quotes of famous people. The third and the hardest way to gain wisdom is by your life experiences, that may not always be simple or a walk in the park. There are some people who like to read the biographies and autobiographies of famous people to learn about their life experiences and the lessons they had learned from them.

Writing Prompt: How do you learn or gain wisdom?

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