Epiphany's effect is especially expedient

Easter is over. Man, it feels a little sacrilegious to say that, so I suppose a little qualification is in order. Easter, the fluffy bunnified, pastel saturated, commercial candimnation...is over. We may now continue to live in the grace and freedom that is Christ. That is, of course, what we should have been doing everyday and need not a holiday to celebrate. This is my opinion, as Paul says, "every man should be convinced fully."

With all that justification and Christianese speak, the point of this blog is that I've had many epiphanies over the past few weeks that I would like to share. I will not share all of them for some are still mysterious to me, but others have helped me a great deal. I hope that I can be of the same assistance and pass down this wisdom to you.

Philosophy, when you follow it's epistemology is a joining of phileos and sophia. Phileos is greek for to love and sophia means wisdom. Hence, we understand philosophy as the love of wisdom, to which I call myself a philosopher. I am one who loves wisdom. Please ponder for a moment what it means to be a lover of wisdom. What does that person look like? If you are like me, when you first came across this concept, the question seemed on the surface very simple, yet when you processed this in your mind it seemed to elude you like a butterfly on a breezy afternoon.

In order to understand what a philosopher (lover of wisdom) is, one must first consider what is wisdom? It is true that wisdom relates to knowledge, as does intelligence, but one generally assumes that to be intelligent is to also be wise. This small misunderstanding, although innocent at first, must be made plain so that we may understand why it to be superior to become a philosopher rather than an intelligent person.

I like to use Noah Webster's 1828 Edition because it lacks a lot of the politically correct phrases and the definitions are not relative to the current public's sentiments. He defines wisdom as "The right use or exercise of knowledge...Wisdom in the first sense, or practical wisdom, is nearly synonymous with discretion. It differs somewhat from prudence, in this respect; prudence is the exercise of sound judgment in avoiding evils; wisdom is the exercise of sound judgment either in avoiding evils or attempting good."

Intelligence is defined in that same edition as synonymous with understanding. Intelligence is simply, the ability to comprehend knowledge or information. It is a passive skill, at least when compared to wisdom which goes further to the "right use of knowledge." One is passive, the other is active. One receives, the other gives. One is amoral, the other is moral. The first is good, the second is better.

What does all this talk of intelligence and wisdom have to do with me? How do I relate to philosophy when I do not possess the skills necessary for such an intellectual discussion. Ah, see this is where the deception of our society has crept in. One need not be intelligent to be a philosopher. In fact, philosophers are not so concerned with what you know, but how or why you know it. Intelligence is measured by the accumulation of knowledge but the philosopher is concerned with how you apply it to life. You can be tremendously wise, far above your peers, but never comprehend molecular physics, nor be able to explain Einstein's theory of relativity.

The hallmarks of a wise philosopher is his ability to turn what little information he may posses into life changing ways of living for tremendous personal or societal changes. Simply put, he takes the little and impacts much with it.

I describe wisdom's superiority not so as to devalue the importance of intelligence, but to introduce priority. Unfortunately, we have praised far too long the intelligent over the wise and are paying the price for it. For intelligence is like the weapon of war and the wisdom the proper training. What good is a gun without knowing how or when to use it? The prudent exercise of power can only be expected of the wise, not the intelligent.

I have written this blog today because I want to establish a foundation for my faithful readers for the next few weeks. Since, I plan to introduce many of these ideas, which, I admit, are new to me but maybe not to you, keep in mind I am a layman. I am not the professional theologian, or physicist. I am not a politician, though on all these subjects I profess my opinions the same as any other human. I am, however, convinced more so than ever before on my positions that I may come across too strongly. Forgive me of this, because it is not my intent to "bible-thump" or strong arm anyone to my side. All I ask is to keep an open mind as we walk together and explore what we believe about this world. And if you do manage to maintain your openness, you have already made your first steps down the path of a philosopher and I am happy to play a small part in your growth.