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How to gain wisdom
Judging by what we see on TV, our choice of soft drink, underarm deodorant, or shampoo is among the most important of life’s questions. Isn’t world peace more important than a clean head of hair? Why is it that none of the many talk shows discuss the value of wisdom? Take war and peace, for example, if we are stupid enough to hate one another, won’t we end up killing one another? To live in harmony, we need to love our neighbor. Love, then, is more important than wisdom, and those who understand this are on the path to how to gain wisdom.
The need for wisdom increases each day. Unless tempered by wisdom, the dizzying speed of our technological development places man at risk. It is not only our immediate environment, but our very own planet that is in peril. Yet, in any global, national, local, or personal crisis there is always the opportunity to discover wisdom. During the cold war, for example, we found the wisdom not to destroy ourselves.
How do we become wise? How to gain wisdom? According to Confucius, "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." Now we are learning from bitter experience that our water supply is contaminated and our food supply is laced with pollutants. But if we reflect on our mistakes and learn from them, we gain wisdom and protect life. Technology or science organizes knowledge. Wisdom organizes life. And when we are sufficiently enlightened, we will avoid situations where wisdom is needed.
Wisdom is a precious gem with a thousand sparkling facets and one should know this in order to learn how to gain wisdom. Each facet reflects a ray of light which helps to illuminate our path through life. Six of the rays are explained in the following paragraphs.
Some easy techniques for how to gain wisdom
Improve your memory. Much of what is generally considered intelligence is simply the ability to remember things well. You can improve your ability to retain and recall memories in a variety of ways, including by using mnemonics and by paying more attention to details.
Study more effectively. If you find yourself at a loss when your teacher puts you on the spot, or if you perform poorly on exams, you may not be studying enough. Even if you study a lot, improving your study skills can make a big difference.
Read a lot. Just about everything that humans know can be found in print, whether in books and magazines or on the internet. Become a voracious reader, and you’ll expose yourself to more ideas and information. If you’re a slow reader, consider learning speed reading. Consider jotting down notes, and perhaps looking up a word or two in the dictionary.
Visit the library frequently and pick up anything which looks interesting to you. The subject matter is not quite as important as is the act of reading. Always have at hand something good to read.
Be more curious. How do some people get to know so much? Good memory skills are only part of the answer: you also have to be curious. If you’re satisfied going through life with little or no understanding of things you’re unfamiliar with, you won’t learn much this you have to understand in order to know how to gain wisdom. Make a conscious effort to be more curious by reminding yourself that developing your curiosity will broaden your horizons and help to make you more intelligent
How to gain wisdom >
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