Monday, October 16, 2017

Wisdom and Happiness

I have just had (and, in some ways, am still in the middle of) a conversation with my brother on the subject of wisdom. Our conversation has covered many sub-topics, including debating various definitions and exploring its relation to knowledge and intelligence. Ultimately, we've determined that there's a lot more to say about it, but in the interest of time, I want to share just one of the highlights from our conversation: Wisdom can lead to happiness.

When we make wise decisions, we can be content that we have acted well. The wisest decisions are the ones that lead us to (and make us more like) God, and following God always ultimately leads to a great deal of happiness. We should always (time permitting) try to consider our options and choose the best one, though that may not always be the easiest or the most immediately rewarding option. Acting wisely is difficult; it takes a good deal of discipline to be wise. But the results of exercising wisdom are worth the effort it takes to develop it, especially since the ultimate result of wisdom is ultimate happiness, a reward that one would be wise to seek.

No comments: