The Static In Your World
When all men think alike, no one thinks very much.” — Walter Lippmann
Lippmann also said, It requires wisdom to understand wisdom: the music is nothing if the audience is deaf. Combining these truths leads to an interesting perspective on how one might go about increasing ones wisdom. First, associate with people who dont think alike, who dont think like you. Seek out divergent thinkers.
If your quest for thinkers is successful, you will notice that there is a lot of thinking going on around you. The static in your world begins to transform into wisdoms music; but be careful. Its easy to be seduced by the symphony. Wisdoms music may not necessarily achieve the volume and fullness of the orchestra, the harmony and richness of the choir. As is true for the music of divergent cultures and societies, wisdoms music may not at first be recognizable by you as music at all. In fact, the more profound the wisdom, the less like music it tends to sound.
Next, dont confuse the music with the musician. Just remember Churchill’s admonition that even a fool is right sometimes. That is why its always wise to consider the advice before discounting the advisor, read the message before turning away the messenger, listen carefully to the music before dismissing the musician. Wisdom frequently doesnt come wrapped in a package clearly labeled, WISDOM: Handle with care! Conversely, the wisest among us are sometimes wrong and not everything that sounds like wisdom is wise.
An additional nugget is embedded in Lippmanns council. There is plenty of wisdom to be experienced by limiting your preferences to certain types of music or musicians. Perhaps you only listen carefully at school or church. Maybe you primarily listen to people who look and sound like you. Possibly you are seeking wisdom mostly in books or from your elders. Maybe you restrict your listening to classical composers and shun bluegrass and rock-and-roll. However you limit your listening experience, the likelihood is that you will never notice what you are missing. You dont normally feel deprived of the wisdom you didnt hear. You are merely less wise than you might otherwise be.
