How can there be compassion without the wisdom to know wherein compassion lies? And if wisdom does not lead to compassion, wherein lies it’s claim to being wise?
(No time to expand on this, but I invite others to do so. What does it mean to you? What is compassion? What is wisdom? Is wisdom more than knowledge or understanding? If so–what?
And is there a so-what to the above? If wisdom and compassion are inextricably linked–so what? Are there any implications of that?)
Compassion is extended as a result of suffering. Suffering being seen from a persons body language, facial expression, outward circumstances ( a subjective judgement) or a shared conversation.
It does not take wisdom to respond to suffering. It takes a heart.
It take wisdom to recognize if the suffering you see is real or contrived.
Wisdom can open the heart to compassion if that wisdom has come as enlightenment which is another way of saying direct knowledge from the source of all things.
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Thank you for your remarks. I’ll chew on them a bit.
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OK, I”ll definitly chew on them a bit. I’ve made several starts for saying sometihng in response to what you said–only to have my thought’s flip on their head even as I was writing. So you’ve stimulated my mind in new directions. Cool. Thank you again.
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Your welcome. I did my best to ponder your question and synthesise the two ideas based on experience and definition.
But, I could be full of it.
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Wisdom is utilitarian: it produces desirable results.
Wisdom is less common and more valuable than knowledge. We live in a society that “knows” a great deal. Our technological achievements are awe-inspiring. But this is not wisdom. It may even be contrary to wisdom: for example, when our technology begins to change the climate, with potentially devastating long term consequences for all of us.
Wisdom is sorely needed to show us the way out of our current difficulties: climate change, the growing gap between rich and poor, the “clash of civilizations”, etc.
Compassion is a separate value, of a different sort, I think. But if compassion is your goal, presumably it requires wisdom to know how best to achieve it.
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