Is Wisdom Temporary?

When I was a kid, knowledge nestled in specific places. Like library books or the heads of experts. It wasn’t very easy to access. Now most knowledge is available online. But what about wisdom? Sense, judgment, insight. Where should we go for that?

Religion? Atheists and religious fundamentalists are similar (and not only because nobody talks about God more than an atheist). Confronted with great mystery - where did we come from, why are we here, where are we going? - both assume absolutist positions in the absence of clarity. 

Science? It continuously corrects and overwrites itself, which is fair. But that means it’s often wrong. Science is also better at describing the Laws of Nature than explaining them, particularly as they relate to consciousness. How does the humble ant, with its tiny brain, know how to amputate injured limbs, or build rafts to escape flooding? “Instinct”! It’s also worth pondering that while religions may talk about the End of the World, only scientists actually risked it. Some Manhattan Project boffins feared the first atomic bomb test could spark a cataclysmic chain reaction, destroying the planet. They went ahead anyway.

Politics? The ideological spectrum is often as circular as it is linear. Both far left and far right can be hostile to data and facts. Both venerate personal freedom, yet advocate censorship. The enduring morbid fascination with Charles Manson is not only because he (along with the disastrous Altamont rock concert) seemed to put an 'end’ to the dream of the 1960s. As a creative who was also a destroyer, literally both a hippie and a Nazi, Manson came to darkly embody contradictions at the heart of the culture. 

Experts? They’re (pretty) good at analysing past events. Illuminating the future? Not so much. Wall Street analyst forecasts are wrong roughly half the time. The Economist predicted Kamala would beat Trump last year, when it seemed obvious even to me that we faced a replay of 2016. Albert Einstein was not only mistaken about elusive black holes, but 'irrationally’ so. When coronavirus first emerged, the World Health Organization echoed doubts on human transmissibility, denied a global emergency, advocated against travel bans, downplayed concerns of a pandemic, and delayed endorsing widespread mask usage until countries like Singapore had already taken action. 

Even when you’re recognised for making good calls, wisdom can be transitory. A clean-and-sober Matthew Perry of 'Friends' television sitcom fame wrote a best-selling memoir to help others overcome the addictions he had suffered. A year later, he died from an overdose. As times change, and perspective deepens, your hero may even become the ‘villain’. Consider the complicated legacies nowadays of Winston Churchill, “America’s Mayor” Rudy Giuliani, GE’s Jack Welch and Apple’s Steve Jobs.

So, where to find wisdom? I’m not sure. Gut instinct, which I suppose comes from learning. Being careful about jumping on the bandwagon too quickly. I also take what I can from history, nature, biographies, the arts, and advice from people I trust. But my point is that wisdom is typically seen as something relatively stable that accumulates, based on experience and reflection. I think it’s a little more situational and fleeting than that.