A huge amount of information is coming our way every day in the Computer Age. Bits of knowledge, bytes of data, to fill our brains, eyes and ears. We think we need all this knowledge to survive and stay on top of the food chain. And in some sense, we do. For if we lag behind in our knowledge base, or at least in our ability to retrieve and apply knowledge, we will be left in the dust. Others who have boned up on the “latest and greatest” will pass us on their road to the future.
But unfortunately, knowledge changes. What we thought was true a hundred years ago, such as that women were not intelligent enough to vote or have political interests, is ridiculous now. Bloodletting in already weakened sick people was also was part of the medical knowledge until about a hundred years ago too.
All this information that we think is knowledge may be disproved in the future. But wisdom is timeless. It is always true. It does not depend on the fads of the culture or of the moment. It applies across the board to every situation. It allows us to find a sanctuary within instead of filling ourselves up with all manner of acquired knowledge.
While knowledge about everything in the world is growing and growing, there is still no connection of knowledge with happiness. We have all heard that “Knowledge is power.” But there is still no relationship between all the stuff we know about and our peace or contentment. If there were, the world would be a sanctuary of abundance and joy—because there is no shortage of knowledge now.
Wisdom can’t be accumulated the way bits of information can be. It has to be experienced, matured, ripened, and allow to grow organically. We cannot buy it the way we can buy a database or a book. And therefore, people are starving for it. They spend too much time running after other things to give wisdom a chance, so they go hungry—like a thirsty man surrounded by sea water—which he cannot drink.
But unfortunately, knowledge changes. What we thought was true a hundred years ago, such as that women were not intelligent enough to vote or have political interests, is ridiculous now. Bloodletting in already weakened sick people was also was part of the medical knowledge until about a hundred years ago too.
All this information that we think is knowledge may be disproved in the future. But wisdom is timeless. It is always true. It does not depend on the fads of the culture or of the moment. It applies across the board to every situation. It allows us to find a sanctuary within instead of filling ourselves up with all manner of acquired knowledge.
While knowledge about everything in the world is growing and growing, there is still no connection of knowledge with happiness. We have all heard that “Knowledge is power.” But there is still no relationship between all the stuff we know about and our peace or contentment. If there were, the world would be a sanctuary of abundance and joy—because there is no shortage of knowledge now.
Wisdom can’t be accumulated the way bits of information can be. It has to be experienced, matured, ripened, and allow to grow organically. We cannot buy it the way we can buy a database or a book. And therefore, people are starving for it. They spend too much time running after other things to give wisdom a chance, so they go hungry—like a thirsty man surrounded by sea water—which he cannot drink.
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