You and I are not wise. No one is wise, not even Socrates, because the idea of wisdom pertains not to persons but to thoughts and to actions. Thoughts and actions that serve to bring about what is valuable in life to ourselves and others are wise.
Therefore we may think wisely and act wisely, exhibiting wise behavior more or less in various situations, but no one is wholly established in wisdom; no one is exempt from stupid or foolish behaviors because, as Alexander Pope said, “to err is human.”
The best we can do is to train our minds and emotions by practicing disciplines that discern what is most valuable and then achieve it.
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