The excelling value of wisdom is incontrovertibly argued.
If asked to define wisdom, you might think it an easy task. Wisdom includes the ability to utilize knowledge and understanding. Applying wisdom can help avoid problems and dangers, can provide a springboard for problem-solving, and can make us more empathetic humans. But these ideas just scratch the surface of what wisdom truly is and the power that it can unlock. Wisdom: A Very Valuable Virtue That Cannot Be Bought by Jason Merchey is an elaborate portrait of an incomparable quality that seems to be lacking in today’s world. Wisdom is considered in great detail as is its close relationship to other valuable qualities such as kindness, compassion, reasonableness, and humility. Merchey’s exposition can be garrulous, but with so much passion behind the topic and centuries of learned philosophers and thinkers to lean upon, it’s difficult to pare down the word count when so much is at stake. Chapters are bookended by numerous quotes that help drive home the points, all in an attempt to convince readers of the value of wisdom, the challenges involved in developing it, and the need to continue to increase our ability to display this esteemed virtue.
Understanding how to define wisdom is only one aspect of this thoughtful tome. The cultivation of wisdom, the extent to which we can or cannot develop wisdom, and ultimately how we can, as individuals and as a nation, put this hard earned quality into practice are all recurring themes. By means of respected authors, historical figures and simple logic, the excelling value of wisdom is incontrovertibly argued. One simple illustration I enjoyed discusses eating a grape versus planting a vine and fermenting grapes into wine as it relates to patience and wisdom. Simple but effective imagery. The author is honest in his opinions, his myriad life experiences and his politics, which will undoubtedly polarize readers, with some being endeared and others disconnected. No matter your personal beliefs, however, if you’re looking for the ultimate self-help topic that has the added benefit of helping others too, dig into a copy of Wisdom: A Very Valuable Virtue That Cannot Be Bought.
