wisdom
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Antoine de Saint-ExupéryOne of the most beautiful and simple books about life, love, death; about being a child and being an adult; about friendship, people and happiness.
When I was in 10th grade at school, I remember literature teacher was very enthusiastic about this book. She was telling us about it all the time. I didn’t find it interesting back then. I didn’t understand the story about little prince, talking foxes, flowers and snakes. Form didn’t appeal to me and I probably had nothing to learn from it at that time. This time was different. I would recommend this book to everyone. It’s a pure beauty. Just in few pages it shows what is important in life and what is not.
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Russell BrandSerious book written in the funny style. Russell Brand basically shares with us things he believes in, mostly concerning how the modern world should look like and how we can get there.
His book is a good account of meaningful quotes (and their simple interpretations) of wise people of our time and from the past. But it is also an account of ideas and implementation policies that are available right now. He collected those ideas from different spheres of life - politics, economy, ecology, culture, religion - and presented them in easy to grasp form.
What this book does is show us that better future is possible and that so many people working on it and believe in it and that it will happen soon.
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Czesław MiłoszFascinating book because it’s both autobiography, but also book on philosophy.
Miłosz shares his story of life and formation of his personality and outlook. His account is extremely valuable since he was born in the Polish family in the Lithuanian part of the Russian empire, saw WWI, grew up during independent Poland, experienced WWII as a poet in Nazi-occupied Warsaw. He spent a lot of time in the West (eventually migrating to the US) and in the communist Poland.
His life is a great example how a human being can live in different systems (imperialism, fascism, communism and capitalism) but still hold to the sacred values. In fact, he shows us that is possible to transcend horrors of our human-made systems.
His story is both about losing and finding faith in humanity. His philosophy is about searching of new explanations for the world and good, seeking new narratives that would reconcile scientific outlook and world religions.
Being Eastern European and living through different systems and cultures his shares his insights on Russia, America, and France. He gives glimpses of hope to other Eastern European and I believe any developing country. In his mind, historical tragedy and past events are not the final verdicts. Those are merely challenges that help us grow because it’s only in the time of turbulence and change that you can really grow.
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Bruce LeeOutstanding book with a lot of wisdowm and personal discoveries. Bruce Lee connects East and West.
Reminds me of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. It’s both a diary and the collection of insights that can be read any day.
I had never watched Lee’s films and didn’t know much about him, so the book was a huge surprise. I like his personality a lot.
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On past, present, and future. — My friend, do think of the past in terms of those memories of events and accomplishments which were pleasant, rewarding, and satisfying. The present? Well, think of it in terms of challenges and opportunities, and the rewards available for the application of your talents and energies. As for the future, that is a time and a place where every worthy ambition you possess is within your grasp.
Bruce Lee -
I mean by wisdom the capacity to know what body of knowledge is relevant to the solution of significant problems. Knowledge is only organized information. It is self-contained, confined to a single system of information about the world. One can have a great deal of knowledge about the world but entirely lack wisdom. That is frequently the case with scientists, politicians, entrepreneurs, academics, even theologians.
Neil Postman -
I write for those who are still searching for a way to confront the future, a way that faces reality as it is, that is connected to a humane tradition, that provides sane authority and meaningful purpose… Where should we look for such a way? Well, of course, one turns first to the wisdom of the sages, both near and far. Marcus Aurelius said, “At every action, no matter by whom preferred, make it a practice to ask yourself, ‘What is his object in doing this?’ But begin with yourself; out this question to yourself first of all. ” Goethe told us, “One should, each day, try to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and, if possible, speak a few reasonable words.” Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living. ” Rabbi Hillel said, “What is hateful to thee, do not do to another.” The prophet Micah: “What does Lord require of thee but do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with The God.” And our own Henry David Thoreau said, “All our inventions are but improved means to an unimproved end.”
Neil Postman -
I rather like imagining a time when, in addition to op-ed pages, we will have “wisdom pages”, filled with relevant questions about the stories that have been covered, questions directed at those who offer different bodies of knowledge from those which the stories themselves confront. I can even imagine a time when the news will be organized, not according to the standard format of local, regional, national, and world news, but according to some other organizing principle - for example, the seven deadly sins of greed, lust, envy, and so on.
Neil Postman -
Editorials merely tell us what to think. I am talking about telling us what we need to know in order to think. That is the difference between mere opinion and wisdom. It is also the difference between dogmatism and education. Any fool can have an opinion; to know what one needs to know to have an opinion is wisdom; which is another way of saying that wisdom means knowing what questions to ask about knowledge.
Neil Postman -
For all of the Twain’s enthusiasm for the giantism of American industry, the totality of his work is an affirmation of the pre-technological values. Personal loyalty, regional tradition, the continuity of family life, the relevance of the tales and wisdom of the elderly, are the soul of his books.
Neil Postman
