Is it possible to think onself wise ?

Langbein

Is it possible to think onself wise ?

If it's not possible to think oneself wise, why should there then be any reason to think at all ?

If it is possible to think oneself wise, is there then any recomended method for "wise making thinking" ?

How can then eventually "wise making thinking" be performed ?

honestrosewater

What do you think? You are supposed to provide an argument of your own when appropriate.

cristo

A title of wisdom is bestowed on one by others.

Langbein

OK then .. If thinking means "linear rational thinking" you can think yourself blind, but not smart.

If thinking means placing the one argument on top of the other like when you build a house from playeing cards, the only thing you can obtain is to lift your feet away from the ground.

The smarter you are, the darker it will be.

Langbein

But if this should eventually in some way be right - there is at least two ways of thinking "the blind making thinking", and the "wise making thinking" how is it then possible to know the difference between the "blind making" and "wise making" thinking, and when to perform which variant of these alternatives ?

paledim

to think yourself 'wise' is an arrogant thought. there will always be someone wiser, and so on... but in my opinion, he who is the wisest says and thinks nothing at all, except learns more. the person who no longer can learn anything because he knows all can then be considered wise, otherwise, we're just chillin'. checking stuff out, learning, doing the best to have fun.

but if a person thinks their wise, they got somethign else coming.

p.s. the world isn't so black and white. just because a person isn't considered wise, doesn't mean they're considered stupid.

wuliheron

That's Sazuki Haroshi, "In the expert's mind there are few possibilities, in the beginner's there are many."

Acceptance of reality is the path to wisdom, and when we are busy thinking ourselves into wisdom we are not in touch with reality. However, the end result of all thought is to eventually stop thinking.

Pythagorean

The word wise always seemed (to me) to be about life experience (as opposed to intelligence).

I've heard a mother explain to her kids that they should listen to her because she is wiser, and in that case I couldn't really argue with her.

So no, I don't think it's impossible to think yourself wise. Nor do I think it's impossible to think yourself wise and not learn as a consequence (what if your definition of wise includes knowing when to listen to reason and learn from experiences?)

That being said, people who think they're wise (even if they don't say it, they just act like it) tend to be arrogant and overlook a lot of things.