Member-only story
Reflection
Finding Wisdom
“The quiet whispers of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of the rulers of fools.” Ecclesiastes 9:17
The above verse is attributed to King Solomon, ruler over Israel until 931 BCE. He has been heralded as the wisest person that ever lived. At some point, he authored the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes. Much of the book centers on the meaningless of life and human endeavor. It also delves into the secrets of wisdom, not unrelated to the mundane cycles of life we find ourselves in as part of the human experience.
Where does someone find quiet wisdom in the age of polarizing and divisive social media? Platforms are owned by the loud and noisy.
We find wisdom when we respect experts. Because it needs to be said, respecting experts does not mean accepting every word they say as absolute truth. Respecting experts does not mean eliminating discernment, or even being in agreement with them. It means we appreciate the amount of time and effort these individuals have put into studying a subject. It means we value and validate the life experience that directly addresses the topics they discuss. It means that even when we do our own research or reach different conclusions, we subject it voices of authority for examination. To respect an expert means to acknowledge their scholarship even when we differ in direction. Even…
