I heard this quote when I was about 20 years old somewhere on YouTube. It led me to pursue Zen Buddhism and spend a lot of time meditating. I even went on a retreat where I meditated for two weeks. It wasn’t easy, and a lot of memories from my childhood came up.
I suffered a lot of trauma, and a lot was done to me that wasn’t right. However, because of my pursuit of wisdom, I can now say that I have gained a lot of insight into how the world works and how to navigate it.
I understand the people around me better and why they are the way they are.
But most importantly, I know the inner workings of myself.
I know what makes me feel good and what makes me feel bad. I know what actions tend to lead to what results. I know what I want in my life, and I have a better understanding of how to go about getting it.
Am I perfect?
Absolutely not.
I still have days when I get depressed or sad and don’t want to do anything. But I know those days are a stage I’m going through, not my entire life.
So, the best advice I can give you is this:
Get to know yourself first.
What is a quote that changed your life? Let me know in the comments.
Tag pursuit of wisdom
How to develop true wisdom
The Tao Te Ching is a Chinese book written around 400 BC. It is an actual book of wisdom, among others. How does one not learn wisdom from books but become wise and write books themselves? You can find a wise mentor who will point you in the right direction. However, to become truly wise, one must find their way. Here are a few pointers to send you on your way.
- Pay attention to everything, especially nature, for example, how the flowers bloom in the spring and grow as fast and robustly as possible without limits or taking breaks. There are lessons of wisdom all around us.
- Meditation is another way to get insight and wisdom into your life and the life of others. There are many forms of meditation. For example, type “guided meditations” into a search engine and see what results you are interested in. There are guided meditations On a wide range of topics.
- Only a fool repeats others’ mistakes. Learn from other people’s lives, not yours, and read autobiographies and biographies.
Wisdom will develop naturally; however, it will take time. You will never be genuinely perfectly wise, but over time, it will build, and as the wisest among us said, “We are all great men because we started first with knowing ourselves.” True wisdom begins with realizing we know nothing. Only then can we develop wisdom. Good luck 🍀.
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