Analysis Of ' Wisdom '

Having knowledge and wisdom comes with a price and is not easy to handle when everyone is afraid of you for having so much knowledge. In the book, Bless Me Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya, Ultima, a curandera, is seen as an evil, old witch who uses her magic against others. In actuality, she heals Lucas even when she is accused, got rid of the 3 Indian ghosts harassing a family, and tells Antonio she accepts her death because she accepted to dedicate her life in the service of others when her owl died. While some may say Ultima is just a “bruja” and a mad witch who uses black magic, I believe she is actually a wise and kind character and knows many things that others do not. She is ready to help anyone even though she is accused.

When most individuals learn about the Ancient Greeks, they often associate the words city-state, democracy and art. But the subject that becomes most apparent to the public and associated with the Ancient Greeks is perhaps philosophy. According to the textbook, philosophy is defined as “the word of wisdom” (Benton et al 66). Philosophy is vaguely not assimilated with religion even though they are similar. There are several branches of philosophy. Two of which were very common in Ancient Greece and they were Stoicism and Epicureanism. According to the textbook, stoicism is defined as being “less concerned with formulating a systematic philosophy than with providing an approach to everyday living” or in other words, accepting the consequences of daily life’s activities and accepting them in a positive approach (102). These beliefs are also taught in the modern world but most people do not know that these beliefs derived from the Ancient Greeks (or what is still documented). In simple terms, stoicism is simply the perception of individuals is what determines all other outcomes in life. Also, another branch of philosophy is Epicureanism. According to the textbook, Epicureanism is defined as the philosophy of “self-indulgence and pleasure seeking” (102, 103). In simple terms, it

The ethics behind Epicureanism are very simple. Epicurus demonstrates that experience shows happiness is not best attained by directly seeking it. The selfish are not more happy but less so than the unselfish. This statement is very powerful for the simple person. Epicurus proves that if a person seeks to be happy he/she usually won't be able to find true happiness.

Wisdom Distilled from the daily: Living the Rule of St. Benedict Today by Joan Chittister writes a chapter than includes the importance of taking time off. Chittister uses a candle to demonstrate the importance of taking time to regain your strength. She talks about how you need to take time for yourself so your inner flame can glow again and you can pass that onto others. This down time is important for self reflection and contemplation. This down time will allow me to reflect on what I have been through and further “let go” and be able to forgive God. Chittister says your candle has to be lit before you can light the candles of others. I really liked this concept and feel it is very present in my life. I feel called by God to help others

23. The stoics believed that the most important good in life was is the serenity of the mind, and they placed emphasis on duty and self-discipline as main virtues.

The principal Doctrines, are written by Epicurus who lived from 341B.C. to 270 B.C. His theory is hedonism, which is rooted in pleasure. The book speaks of pain as being only temporary, and that it is only a pleasure over pain (V). This is a way of life to see the pleasures that life offers are what Epicurus is saying. And although, “no Pleasure is a bad thing in itself,” The results of obtaining the pleasure can bring greater displeasures (VIII). He is looking for the most pleasures one can get, and I suppose if he was not happy with his job, that he would quit. I can see Epicurus, avoiding a lot of things within his life because they would bring pain and frustration, like driving in rush hour. The idea sounds like he is living the simple life, or a hermit’s life.

The Handbook vs. 90210 Finding happiness in life is the ultimate goal for many people; this task, however, is not easy. In a world surrounded by temptation, it is often extremely difficult to distinguish the difference between what leads to true happiness and what only temporarily gratifies. Innumerable philosophers have tried to tackle this challenge, and each has left behind various theories on how to achieve happiness. One of the most famous philosophers, Epictetus, came to the conclusion that Stoicism is the best way to find happiness in the mortal world. Epictetus lived from approximately 50-130 A.D. and the stoic movement began to catch on even earlier, around 300 B.C. (Epictetus 1).

Even though he professed no specific religious faith, he appeared to suggest that some kind of logical, benevolent force organizes the whole universe in such a way and that even bad occurrences occur for the good of the whole. He claimed that all attributions of good or evil are the product of human judgement. Marcus Aurelius' Stoic ideas often had to do with the denial of emotion. He believed that this ability can free a person from the pains and pleasures of the material world and that the only way one can be harmed by others is by their reaction overpowering them. In many passages, Marcus Aurelius encourages himself to overcome the limited perspective of the self and experience the world from a cosmic perspective. He believed that once one has overcome false value-judgements such as wealth, social rank and competition, one will experience the cosmos as a single living entity instead of an existence of destruction, chaos, and

The philosophy of Epicurus sought virtue as a condition of serenity in the soul. According to his thought, Epicureanism is centered in the achievement of happiness through the elimination of one’s desires, and on pleasure and virtue claiming that “It is impossible to live pleasantly without living wisely and honorably and justly” (Epicurus, Doctrines, 1). This signifies that pleasure and virtue are interdependent and both sustain the concept of this ideology. To achieve happiness, one must do its best to live as virtuously as possible if they are to live a pleasant life. Pleasure is declared as the “beginning and end of the happy life” and by nature “the greatest good” (Epicurus, Doctrines, 13). This is so because living a life of pleasure means pain is absent and therefore makes life meaningful. Reason and virtue play an important role in the Epicurean notion of pleasure, leading the wise man to choose a simple life and rational action above

According to Stoicism, the only way that happiness can be achieved is through “self-control, detachment from all externals, and the acceptance of one’s fate as identified by the objective use of reason.” Stoics follow the thought that nothing can make you happy or unhappy without your consent. The manner in which we deal with a situation and the attitude we choose to have toward it needs to be of the upmost importance since anything outside of self-control and self-discipline can result in “avoidable unhappiness.” With the use of reason, we must learn to control what we can and accept the things in which we are completely powerless. Stoicism offers the thought that in some unknown way the Logos guides our lives, which is the Stoic concept of World Reason and Fate. Since there are things that are painfully out of our control, the

As one matures through life he gets wiser and more knowledgeable. As Siddhartha’s long life journey was coming to a close, he too was becoming wiser and more knowledgeable. Siddhartha learned that if you search your whole life for wisdom you will miss many steps along the way. Siddhartha’s revelation between the difference of wisdom and knowledge corresponds with his other discovery which is the difference between finding and seeking. This has been the guide for his way of life. These differences he has discovered are the main reasons for having several teachers and a radical lifestyle. Furthermore, this revelation has made a distinct separation between Siddhartha and Govinda. It highlights the major difference between Govinda and Buddhism

Philosophy can be defined as the pursuit of wisdom or the love of knowledge. Socrates, as one of the most well-known of the early philosophers, epitomizes the idea of a pursuer of wisdom as he travels about Athens searching for the true meaning of the word. Throughout Plato’s early writings, he and Socrates search for meanings of previously undefined concepts, such as truth, wisdom, and beauty. As Socrates is often used as a mouthpiece for Plato’s ideas about the world, one cannot be sure that they had the same agenda, but it seems as though they would both agree that dialogue was the best way to go about obtaining the definitions they sought. If two people begin on common ground in a conversation, as Socrates often tries to do, they are

In the Apology, the oracle at Delphi stated that Socrates was the wisest man of his time (Plato 21a). Socrates, however, “[was] very conscious that [he was] not wise at all”, which would not make him the wisest man of his time (21b). Certainly, not both the oracle and Socrates could be simultaneously correct in their individual beliefs; thus, the oracle and Socrates must have had differing definitions of wisdom. What, then, is wisdom? Many people believe wisdom denotes having extensive knowledge about various things. A person often gains this knowledge through time and experience, hence why elderly people are viewed as wise. We shall refer to this form of wisdom as wisdom through knowledge alone. So too, many

“Happiness in particular is believed to be complete without qualification, since we always choose it for itself and never for the sake of anything else. Honour, pleasure, intellect, and every virtue we do indeed choose for themselves (since we would choose each of them even if they had no good effects), but we choose them also for the sake of happiness, on the assumption that through them we shall live a life of happiness; whereas happiness no one chooses for the sake of any of these nor indeed for the sake of anything else.” ( Aristotle 10-11) Aristotle is the other view of happiness that will be discussed. With him and the Stoics, they are both kind of similar due to both believe in virtue for happiness, Aristotle says virtue a different way and other ways about happiness. Aristotle along with the Stoic’s believe that virtues is the same, but Aristotle says this about virtue “and if we take this kind of life to be activity of the soul and actions in accordance with reason, and the characteristic activity of the good person to be to carry this out well and nobly, and a characteristic activity to be accomplished well when it is accomplished in accordance with the appropriate virtue; then if this is so, the human good turns out to be

Epicurus lived a life of simplicity, and studied at great length what happiness meant, and announced a set of insights that we only need three things to be happy. These were not of grandeur, riches, or fame, they were simple truths that hid underneath those desires. His beliefs were as follows, that you need your friends around, not just on an every so often basis, regular contact is what counts. Secondly, working for yourself instead of others, getting a sense of helping people out of your work. And lastly that we need to stay calm. We will always be in search of happiness, and the Epicurean lifestyle may be of some insight to us even in the present day.