....means Wise Man. As a species we are misnamed. I think we should be renamed Homo Ingeniosus. Setting aside that in modern times Man should probably be person, my point is clever we undoubtedley are, but there is a problem. Unlike dolphins we are smart-stupid. We still have monkey brains apparently. Dolphins show more common sense. If an area is over populated they spread out, and stop making babies. That is wise. We strip our environment of resources which will inevitably lead to our species dieback (I think), and bonk our brains out making thousands more babies to overload a world already holed below the plimsole line. Maybe I am being unfair. Dolphins have been around for 50 million years.
Wisdom? Emotional intelligence? Enlightenment? Maturity is another word. What I am seeing is that our species is clever but immature. I've been watching the news of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians as they rush with blood lust towards outright, full-on war. Who is right and who is wrong? The question is immature. I don't need to, and cannot answer it. Arguments have two sides and usually have no ends. Where did it all start? When? thousands of years ago I think, and it is the same for many peoples around the world where different cultures rub up against each other. I studied culture for commercial reasons. Culture clash costs businesses money. My studies convinced me that nice as the idea of multiculturism is, it is dangerous and has never worked out so far. We are too immature as a species to make it work yet is my current opinion. We are like little children pulling each others hair out by the handful in the play ground. People die in their thousands because they have different religions or ideologies. It always ends in tears.
I suffer accusations of racism because I think multiculturism is a bad idea. I'm not. I honestly don't care about the colour of a person's skin. It is what is in their hearts and heads that is important. Here is another thought. If a wise person finds themselves in the middle of a war zone, being shelled. What do they do? Take sides and rush into murderous battle? No, they probably leave and seek asylum in a safe place. The immature will call them cowards maybe. Since in this case they are genuine they will receive refugee status. Next time you hear the phrase asylum seeker, remember that although a bogus one may be doing it for the government handouts and national health service, the genuine one is a wise person who got the hell out of there. give them a break or better still listen to them and learn something. I do. I spent time with some refugees from Iraq in 2010. I learnt a few things.
Wisdom: My grandmother Emily Winterburn was a clever lady, and wise. She lived to be 91. I asked her once how old you had to be to stop taking prat falls. She thought a while and said that she could only speak for herself. 70 years old maybe. Her next point was that it's possible the majority go through their entire lives without achieving it. For me I think I have flashes of it, and I recognise it when I see it. Am I wise? Occasionally, but certainly not most of the time! I have a way to go. I certainly don't want to live the rest of my life as dumb as I can be sometimes still.
I dumped religion and party politics years ago, but if I was a person of faith I would say a prayer for another blogger. Her name is Malala Yousufzai. She is a brave 14 year old from Pakistan. She was campaigning for the education for girls. The Taliban shot her in the head. As she recovers from surgery I salute her bravery. Not only am I not wise, I also cannot match her courage. Get well soon Malala.
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