9. The Path of Wisdom

If you want to talk to me, I'd love to listen to something useful for my well-being; otherwise, I have no time for you. And, please, don't be resentful because in the modern world, overflowing with information, we have no choice but to learn to separate the wheat from the chaff. 

Many people complain about information overload, but I see this as an unprecedented global, universal practice of mutual communication. Slowly but surely, we learn to talk sense by gaining or losing attention. There will be times when empty chatter will die out like dinosaurs.

If you start talking about an abstract issue, I need only ten seconds of my attention until I decode it as irrelevant to my actual needs, nothing serious: This tree has green leaves! Great! What's next? That's it! Aren't you impressed? 

The desire to impress is nothing special: everyone wants to be considered sometimes, and even better if every time. It's sad that in our nontotalitarian world, you have to do something extraordinary to be counted when it should be natural that your needs are taken into account simply because you are part of this world. 

Unable to do extraordinary things in the physical world, people express themselves on social media to realize their democratic potential. We must be tolerant and happy they are trying to say their word in the best way possible. It’s all training! 

Small minds try to express themselves by attacking others, exposing them to the public. Sooner or later, they are given the go-by and change their strategy to talking about situations, which is less personal, to gain the attention of the sympathizers. It feels better because the small mind grew up a bit after learning to communicate in a public space without applying the kitchen standards to their chatter.

People don't want to help us when they want us to mess up our lives so that we show the flawedness of our logic. We should advance by making intellectual efforts as we publish our thoughts. Writing posts for the public is intellectually competitive but evolutionary.

“If you're so wise why don't you prosper? Why does nobody follow you?” Some snicker.

They know that prosperity is the goal of wisdom. That's why many confuse being rich and being wise. Little do they know!

We can’t seem wise if we only rant about what's wrong. Sooner or later, we’ll burn out, and become repetitive and boring.

Indicating abnormalities is not enough: we should also suggest how to correct them. We have to work with data if we want to progress. When our database is incomplete we won't know how to get to the turning point and give every small mind the chance to criticize us mercilessly with their soaked in cooking oil remarks. 

Oh, I'll use my eloquence to convince these confused people. If people are confused why would we add more? If we don't have enough data, we’ll inevitably start talking nonsense sooner or later. Ungrounded eloquence is good only if we philosophize about lofty matters like unconditional love, eternal loyalty, awareness, etc, without a call to action but for them to appreciate us as good-natured individuals. If you want action, tell me precisely, in molecules, what we do, and, most importantly, what the downsides are.

Good wisdom doesn't walk in the swamp, it paves smooth roads. Otherwise, it's not wisdom, it is a search for wisdom. Then say, “I hope it will work,” instead of “Go this way,” turning to the cooperation of individuals who agree with you and forgiving the doubters. 

If a group of admirers (questionlessly the best people in the world) around you is cheering and nodding, you gradually stop being available for those who disagree or are pessimistic about your ideas (usually, they are legion). So what? Let them go.

The only reason you decided to grow wise (back then) was dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs—you wanted to express your opinion about the wrongness you felt in your daily life. If you had all you needed you wouldn’t care. 

However, reckless consumption is the source of all unfairness. But what standards should we desire if not abundant fame and fortune?

We should ask science: How should we organize our neighborhoods so every human can be a healthy, good-hearted, interesting companion, reliable partner, and caring parent?

People with different mentalities must walk different routes to become active fellow citizens. Calculating everyone’s needs is not simple, but it will make this world a factual place, develop better services, and give more weight to social equity, which I see as strengthening democracy and its self-sustainability. People are made of individuals. If the power of the people doesn’t make everyone feel at home, why should they hold power? If it is only kept to forge various idols, we might as well return to feudalism. 

To progress as a civilization, we must know exactly what everyone needs to feel good not from their words, since there are plenty of vague ideas about what makes us feel good, but have a scientifically grounded prescription, so that we won’t bump from one extreme to another and focus our attention on being okay together and individually. The bare minimum is not respectful: if you think I should turn into a good mushroom by consuming a sack of potatoes a year, there’s something wrong with your reason. We should doubt that competence.

If you put people on the brink of survival, so that they’re willing to bring themselves down for any creepy job, forsaking their children and withdrawing from parental guardianship to earn a living, you can’t be surprised that they won’t love you just for being you and betray you at the first opportunity. On the other hand, if parents work for someone to make them richer, without allowing their kids to grow up feeling they matter, how can anyone expect young people to be good to the prosperous? Such expectations are at the very least inadequate.

As far as I know, there is only one category of people who are loved for what they are and bring stability and peace to everyone just by merely existing in this world—mothers, who take care of us for free, who teach us about this world simply by living in it every day next to us, sharing their thoughts on all its complexity, and giving us a real idea about it, who love this world despite everything because they love their children.

Becoming wise is like healing. How many bitter pills do you want to eat before you feel good? As few as possible, of course! So, try it! Wisdom lies in moderation and sharing experiences to lead us all to progress. People won’t leave you in peace if you look more wealthy than the majority out of idle curiosity. If everyone has enough then everyone is prosperous. Therefore, understanding what enough means and why it will work is the path of wisdom.

Wise people appreciate solitude when conducting their research. Those kings are not made by their retinue. Pointing out mistakes, won’t make too many friends. And it’s okay because if they step on your foot you have to push them away to free your body. The same is true if they step on your dignity, time, and your well-being. Some people don’t understand because they don’t have enough spinach a day!

However, loneliness is unnatural. You can only make friends if you show a well-paved road to progress. Willing to become wise, people learn to communicate effectively with the general public, and sometimes, they succeed. 

More practice! More training! Less complaining! You are the vanguard of humanity.