Clever Wisdom

Cleverness is not wisdom. ~ Euripides

Cleverness does not equate wisdom.

Let’s just have that sink in for a moment. Cleverness and wisdom are not the same thing.

From the little knowledge and experience I have in the world, it seems that people often mistake cleverness for wisdom. From the movies we watch to what we are taught in schools, cleverness is somehow preferred to wisdom.  This is not to say that wisdom is not a cherished trait to gain or to have, but is overlooked.

I highly enjoy being clever. I can look at things and just have a natural knack for finding loopholes in every situation I am in. I have always been like that and it is a trait that I hold dear to me, because it causes me to view the world in a different way. BUT I would prefer the trait of wisdom to cleverness.

When you gain wisdom, because it is something that you gain, it makes you view the world in a unique view. No longer are you looking just at the here and now, but are able to have the ability of seeing and understanding what may happen when a certain chain of events happen. It is not self-serving, but able to see how decisions will effect other people.

Now after stating that I do not believe that cleverness is a bad thing. I believe that it can be exceptionally useful at times, but it can’t be the only way you view things. I know personally that I have gained some wisdom in some areas, we all have if we let ourselves, and I prefer these lessons to being clever because it more times turns out better for me. The effect of listening to wisdom, whether personal wisdom or from others, can be such a positive thing that can cause you from making foolish decisions.

So, cleverness is not a bad thing but it is certainly not wisdom.