If someone breaks your heart, do you respond rationally? Can you? Has anyone? Is there any way short of nerve-stapling to end the associated sensations and ideation?
Then stop shitting on people who are responding irrationally to heartbreak. The signs of it are all over the world and have always been all over the world. The depressives, the troubled, the diseased, the suicides, the idiots & fools, the violent, the irreverent, the dropouts, the deadbeats, the hopeless, the grieving... so many classically 'unwell' or 'questionable' bear the distinct scars of a broken heart. They are despised and misunderstood. There is no end to them. Even the happy Wellbeings, in an unguarded moment, may exhibit a subtle sign of pain or relate a story (if they trust you enough).
It is part of a mature mind to understand this. It ought to be part of every mind to possess some measure of empathy and understanding. There ought to be more value placed on wisdom.
There are not many people capable of seeing others at their lowest or worst and overcoming the piteous instinct (which censors reality by truncating it). It is a real challenge to empathize with people who fill you with disgust and disregard. You will have to do so if you value wisdom or humanity. It will be shitty... knowledge gained is not always comfortable. Wisdom is the opposite of comfortable complacency. Ignorance is perhaps truly blissful, but ignorance is not a state in which people grow and become great, and bliss is a fleeting thing.
Wisdom counters the irrationality of a human's response to defeat, disgust, pity, sorrow, or heartbreak. It enables one to look past immediate problems and place the present in an accurate context. It does not lead one to foolish hopes or into the destructive types of desire.
Paired with knowledge, wisdom becomes the greatest force for good that we possess. We undervalue wisdom for supposedly 'practical' values. We always have. The wisest humans of the past were not the most powerful, nor the wealthiest, nor were they always honored accordingly, but their influence is responsible for much if not all of what is considered good.
Wisdom is not in and of itself comprised of virtues. It cultivates virtues. It is not easy to attain. It is not self-regarding; it is humble but confident. It does not announce itself, it is not showy, it is self-evident. To the 'happily unwise' it may well be invisible, but it can inspire others. It is not unnecessary. Wisdom is not indifferent but equanimous. Wisdom knows and accepts imperfection in the self and in others. It is not hasty or judgmental, but it does stand firmly in the face of nonsense. Wisdom wants to know what is, and better it, and overcome fear. Wisdom stands against negativity, and though it need not acknowledge a god, it stands vigilant against evil as well.
Wisdom is not the sole property of the 'smart' set. There is no monopoly on wisdom. Wisdom will not form cartels, it will not attempt to take control – it will attempt to effect change in a patient way. It will not endorse bloodshed or suffering. It will not place one above the other. It will not accept injustice as an unbreakable rule. Wisdom is careful and selfless, it is not mercenary, it can change the world and usher in a new era, instead of struggling in the background under old and broken ways of living.
If and only if we adopt wisdom as a way of life can we ensure that the ills of our society are cured within our lifetime. If and only if we accept wisdom as the crowning virtue in leaders can we avoid bloodshed and conflict and small-mindedness. If and only if we strive towards wisdom can we make our species fulfill its potential.
On a personal level wisdom creates the mental balance necessary for true happiness, it is the precursor to true joy, not the pale imitations of joy & happiness that are coveted today. It makes it possible to accept things as they are and move them towards what they might be. It makes it possible to be selfless without being bitter or exploited. It makes it possible to be firm and strong without being aggressive or stupid or overbearing. It is the destroyer of bad habits, it is the creator of good ones. It inculcates discipline and perspective. It is not easy to become wise, that must be acknowledged, but a lifelong attempt should be one of the guiding principles of the living.
The wise are happier. The wise love more deeply, less selfishly. The wise know more and always seek more knowledge, which they do not use solely for personal gain. The wise will never be ruled by fear. The wise see through the vicious lies of our era, and though they are hurt and worried, they do not allow the negativity to wear them down. The wise value perspective, they strive to see things as they really are. They do not provoke negative reactions in others for any purpose. They strive to better those around them, and to better themselves as well, knowing it the most fundamental way of improving society. They know the value of love in its best sense, and it has changed them.
The wise seem to be a dying race in this world, and they have never really thrived, and that must be changed. Seek wisdom; fuck ignorance, greed, hatred, mendacity. Choose the road that requires true courage, which rewards its traveler in immeasurable ways, which offers the best and most terrifying and most inspiring views. For the sake of us all, choose wisdom and reject the nonsense. If and only if you truly want to be better, and leave behind the false ways, wisdom is your only option. Don't sell it or yourself short.
