On April 29, 2022, I posted “Are You Sure?” In it, I promised a series of articles about how understanding uncertainties and paradoxes leads to increased wisdom. This is Part Two.

The art of living is more like wrestling than dancing.

Marcus Aurelius

Except to the most avid seekers of wisdom, Stoicism is either unknown or misunderstood. To the average person, this vibrant, action-oriented, and paradigm-shifting way of living has become shorthand for “emotionless.” … In its rightful place, Stoicism is a tool in the pursuit of self-mastery, perseverance, and wisdom.

Men are not moved by things but the views which they take of them.

Epictetus

Wisdom can be conveyed in many ways: long philosophical tomes, allegories, myths, poems, literature, parables, fables, songs, and aphorisms.

An aphorism is typically defined as a “a pithy observation that contains a general truth.”

Just when I discovered the meaning of life, they changed it.

George Carlin

None of us knows as much as we think we do. In my study of wisdom, I have concluded the universe consists of little we humans would call certain.

For those of you who know me as a skeptic (I’ve also been called a “curmudgeon” more times than I care to remember) and believe, based upon my other articles on positive psychology, I have drunk the Kool-Aid, this article will reassure you.

From one of my readers (JB): “Congratulations on your positive psychology course! I want your top 10 suggestions for being positive.”

I feel compelled to make sure that none of us are confused by the distinction between “positive thinking” and “positive psychology.”

Ten years before Dr. Dilip Jeste published “Wiser,” a science writer by the name of Stephen S. Hall published “Wisdom: From Philosophy to Neuroscience.” His views on how to define wisdom are so aligned with my own and so well-articulated, the best I can do is quote him (at some length) and provide a very few comments.

You, my friend … are you not ashamed … to care so little about wisdom and truth and the greatest improvement of the soul, which you never regard or heed at all? Socrates

I would like to now address some reasons why wisdom is such a difficult word to define and address what I believe are two of the primary challenges. At this point, I offer no solutions, but I will get to that, so stay tuned.

This is a revised version of the blogs posted on July 28, 2021, called “How Wise Are You?” and August 10, 2021, called “Defining Wisdom – Part 2.”

Thanks to my neighbors and local clients for this honor!

Why are we spending precious time on this?

For that matter, why would a high-powered neuropsychiatrist like Dr. Dilip Jeste dedicate an entire book just a year or so ago to defining wisdom? Shouldn’t this issue have been settled by now?

I begin with some thoughts about geniuses and then will explain how one modern-day genius offers unique practical advice on improving relationships, specifically the technique of “active constructive responding” (ACR). Ever heard of it?

Major change in the Texas version of the Rule Against Perpetuities, allowing grantors to stretch the duration of trusts for 300 years for trusts formed after 9/1/21.

Clients is family law cases are typically concerned about whether their lawyers are really trying to settle their cases or just keeping the clock running.

They do not tell you this in law school, but for many of us, practicing law is a miserable way to make a living, and it is not getting any better.

According to a recent post on American Lawyer, “Lawyers are feeling more isolated, burnt out, and depressed than ever, even as law firms rolled out new programs and made efforts to over-communicate throughout the year.”