Every civilization has had those who thought, believed, acted, and spoke wisely and with solid logic. Such wisdom was often hidden beneath another label such as an elder, minister, or teacher. Social standing didn’t matter, neither did wealth nor lack of it. The invisible badge they wore, and often in humble fashion, was that of Wise One.
In that respect, the past is also the present. Many people throughout the world qualify for that badge. They can be anywhere and everywhere, well-known or obscure, in a city or tucked away in some small town or on a farm.
So, you might ask, what are they like? How would I know one if I were to meet and get to know one?
For starters, logic tells you a wise one isn’t an extremist. Although well aware of and well-versed in the most radical of all views and positions, they neither think nor act in extremes but rather in carefully measured quantities.
They speak with such convincing certainty and self-assured authority, they are usually successful in swaying others to their way of thinking. They don’t talk loudly and they often hesitate as they carefully measure their words so as not to create a misunderstanding they must later correct.
A wise one reads not simply to know, but to understand. Only a bit of thought reveals the vast difference between the two actions. Yes, you can get by simply by knowing, but you must fully understand what you know before you can begin to judge.
The steep challenge wise ones must face is directing their attention to the most reputable sources of information and the accuracy with which it is reported. Reporting news as an opinion nearly always results in facts being distorted or wrong. The wise ones see it this way: If a statement isn’t true, then it’s false.
Without prior bias, wise ones insist on considering every facet of an issue and doing that better than anyone else. They know that’s the only proper and honest way to conclude, take a stand, and urge action that could affect a wide swath of citizens.
They have almost boundless patience and understanding. Most important, they recognize that mankind isn’t perfect while acknowledging that everyone should be free to be whatever they choose to be, even if they fail in their effort to succeed. There must, however, be standards and accompanying laws to keep order. A wise one believes everyone must shoulder the responsibility for their personal behavior and be willing to help those who have yet to learn how to do that.
They also believe the emphasis should never be on serving the needs of a political party but rather on what that party represents in terms of serving the needs of the constituency no matter who or what they are or how poor or wealthy.
Total the virtues of the wise ones and the view becomes much clearer as to why that in the minds of many, we are falling short in our original mission of being a nation of, by, and for the people. Much of that concern stems from our increasing tendency to stray from the vision of the founders of our nation who wrote the Constitution and Bill of Rights. History clearly indicates that left uncorrected, such a condition in any nation can lead to anarchy, civil war, or even total collapse.
That sets the stage for this idea: Take full advantage of the wise ones’ presence by creating a procedure for their judgements to be aired and considered when each legislative act is being debated. Instead of denouncing our present system, far better we enhance it by providing yet another way for taking full advantage of the best thinking our citizens have to offer.
Regardless of who the wise ones might be and how much they might contribute, we need to begin now to take full advantage of their knowledge and wisdom.
