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Today's
Meditation:
Wisdom and philosophy can be wonderful things, yet
once you divorce them from emotions and compassion, they
lose all of their value. Wisdom can be very helpful
in life, but it must be practical and it must take into
account the humanity and the needs of all people if it's
to be useful. Wisdom that doesn't cry comes in the
form of the person who hears that a friend has suffered a
great loss, only to say something like, "Well, you
didn't really need that person or thing,
anyway." It takes no account of the emotional
needs of the moment, and seeks only to assert itself
whether the situation calls for its assertion or
not.
As we learn, it's easy to take on information and concepts
and keep them separate from our humanity. But what
good is wisdom or philosophy if they help no one else at
all? What good are they if they're dry and sterile,
and if they show no compassion at all? The best
doctors are those who understand what their patients are
going through; the best teachers are those who see and
feel the needs of their students; the best counselors are
those who know the struggles of their clients.
Khalil Gibran knows that wisdom and greatness and
philosophy are traits and pursuits that need to serve our
fellow humans, but that can easily be warped to become
ends unto themselves. I've known many people who
have studied philosophy only to say that they know what
certain philosophers thought, without ever trying to
consider how to apply those thoughts to serve people who
need them in their lives.
I also prefer wisdom that cries and philosophy that
laughs. I prefer to call "great" the
people who have the humility to realize that there are
more important things in the world than their own actions
and achievements, and who recognize that all that we do,
we do to improve the world for our children. Dry and
sterile? You can have it.
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