“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”
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I'm not sure if that quote is from Socrates or not, but I believe that it originated from his ventures. When Socrates went to see the oracle he was told that he was the wisest person alive. He told the oracle that this was not possible because he knew nothing at all. So in believing that the oracle was wrong he set out to find someone smarter than he was. He talked to politicians, religious figures, and commons in the city. He went back to the oracle and said that he talked to these groups of people, and while they claimed to know everything they spoke on, Socrates was aware that none of them knew anything. What he found out was, while no one knew anything, he was more intelligent for the very fact that only he understood that he knew nothing at all, thus he was the wisest.
Personally I believe this to be true. But I really don't bother to much with it because there is no true purpose beyond knowing that we are all ignorant. Everything we "know" is what we (mankind) manifested and defined. Every word in every language used to describe what we perceive through the senses was created by us in order to set standards for human communication and truth. The best philisophical example is the image of beauty and how "beauty" is non existant. What one person believes is beautiful, another will not, therefore that image is not beautiful, and there is not beauty. We know the sun is "hot" but we defined what "hot" is and can not know for certain this is true.
The Matrix pretty much covered it in the scene where they are all eating at the table, talking about the flavor of chicken.
Just know that we were brought into this world ignorant, and intelligence is based on retaining knowledge for a "truth" WE defined.
Personally I believe this to be true. But I really don't bother to much with it because there is no true purpose beyond knowing that we are all ignorant. Everything we "know" is what we (mankind) manifested and defined. Every word in every language used to describe what we perceive through the senses was created by us in order to set standards for human communication and truth. The best philisophical example is the image of beauty and how "beauty" is non existant. What one person believes is beautiful, another will not, therefore that image is not beautiful, and there is not beauty. We know the sun is "hot" but we defined what "hot" is and can not know for certain this is true.
The Matrix pretty much covered it in the scene where they are all eating at the table, talking about the flavor of chicken.
Just know that we were brought into this world ignorant, and intelligence is based on retaining knowledge for a "truth" WE defined.
i liked that, but what do u think is better, thinking we are wise an not knowin that we arent, or looking for a truth that WE defined.
"truth" isnt that hard to define, an apple can be red = truth.
wisdom = what we think the limit of knowledge on a certain topic is.
therefore, trying to be intelligent by retaining knowledge for a TRUTH that we defined is a whole lot better than stating "we know that we dont know shit, so lets focus on the 'simple' things in life, such as my car not starting"
"truth" isnt that hard to define, an apple can be red = truth.
wisdom = what we think the limit of knowledge on a certain topic is.
therefore, trying to be intelligent by retaining knowledge for a TRUTH that we defined is a whole lot better than stating "we know that we dont know shit, so lets focus on the 'simple' things in life, such as my car not starting"
Do you honestly feel smarter for knowing that? When will that every be helpful to you.
When you try to breathe underwater? When you try to jump out of a rocket in outerspace?
I mean, you can know a whole lot of shit, but you still don't know shit. If you collect knowledge to better yourself, stop and think who you're trying to compete with.
And it's funny you say that thing about a car not starting. I had my car not start today and I only recently learned about compression starting the car. That's kind of what made me think this up, because I hadn't known about that shit a month ago, I learn about it and all of a sudden I need to use it.
It's just fucking weird how knowledge and problems co-exist.
When you try to breathe underwater? When you try to jump out of a rocket in outerspace?
I mean, you can know a whole lot of shit, but you still don't know shit. If you collect knowledge to better yourself, stop and think who you're trying to compete with.
And it's funny you say that thing about a car not starting. I had my car not start today and I only recently learned about compression starting the car. That's kind of what made me think this up, because I hadn't known about that shit a month ago, I learn about it and all of a sudden I need to use it.
It's just fucking weird how knowledge and problems co-exist.
When you go into things realizing you don't know everything you're more aware of things and perceptive to new ideas...instead of being stuck in old shit and thinking that you know everything, which usually leads to people getting less out of everything in general...At least that's my experience...I always find when I go into something understanding that I dont' know everything or even most things, I learn more and I'm more receptive to what's going on and shit...
"When you buy into common 'truths' you subscribe to a certain limitation. It's like thinking 'inside the box'. Once you KNOW something... once you BELIEVE something... it's pretty concrete. You're kind of defined by it.
However, if you keep an open mind and formulate ideas, your ideas will lead you towards experiences you would have never noticed under your previous confinements.
Once you accept that everything is a mystery, nothing is certain, than you're opening yourself up to extreme opportunity. I don't know if I believe in miracles, but I experience them on a near daily basis.
Just think about everything... colors, sounds, tastes... everything is somebody's catagorization of life. It's a description that we've come to accept as truth. I'm not saying things aren't real... things are very real. Life's just a lot more interesting when you're not clouding it with the bullshit."
However, if you keep an open mind and formulate ideas, your ideas will lead you towards experiences you would have never noticed under your previous confinements.
Once you accept that everything is a mystery, nothing is certain, than you're opening yourself up to extreme opportunity. I don't know if I believe in miracles, but I experience them on a near daily basis.
Just think about everything... colors, sounds, tastes... everything is somebody's catagorization of life. It's a description that we've come to accept as truth. I'm not saying things aren't real... things are very real. Life's just a lot more interesting when you're not clouding it with the bullshit."
I definetly subcribe to idea behind that quote. IMO no one REALLY knows anything. Even things we think we know are still a mystery. I agree with you fridge.
I got two more I have always liked...
"The fools thinks himself to be wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool."
"Belief is the death of intelligence"
I got two more I have always liked...
"The fools thinks himself to be wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool."
"Belief is the death of intelligence"