On Wisdom

by Gidon Wise. Main poetry index

1

The wise are never sincerely surprised
by the reactions to their actions.
For whenever they act, the wise
analyze, and in analyzing any natural
problem they are defeated by a lack of data
and a lack of understanding.

2

What is morality to a stone?
But a stone cannot do wrong.
What is morality to a bird?
But birds don't sin.

Find me an unethical breeze.
You can't do it unless you are stupid.

3

There is nothing capable
of stupidity besides man.
Say that people
are more intelligent than
insects. I will agree with you.
But, insects are incapable
of stupidity, because insects
know that they are insects and know
the world they live in, the way insects
know anything. And insects know
they don't know how to be men
or different types of insects.
Their every movement shows grace
and wisdom, whether they be eluding a hand,
resting on a leaf or scuttling on their backs,
feet wiggling rhythmically in the air,
generating the momentum to flip over.

In the facile and utilitarian world of insects
there is no stupidity.

4

A wise man knows who he is and where he lives,
that is all you must know to be wise.
Why then are there so many stupid people?
Is stupidity a fantastic dimension which
stupid people relish and never leave,
a dimension which dulls them to their nauseating
ugliness? Does this stupid dimension contain
data that justifies their stupidity?
Can it be that these stupid people are wise
in the stupid dimension, and that wise people
are stupid in the stupid dimension.
In truth the stupid dimension can exist
to an extent, but only near tremendous
concentrations of stupidity.
A wise man may have to visit the stupid
dimension, but he is cautious lest he not leave,
for in general there is no stupid dimension
unless you are stupid.

5

Stupidity is the motive
for evil. Ask an intelligent
criminal why he did wrong.
He will say he was stupid.

6

Ugliness comes from stupidity.
There is no shape,
to stupidity,
or color, or smell, or taste.
But, one who is stupid
shall endow ugliness
to his environment.

So if you are stupid,
open your eyes and see your
world as it is, and let beauty
replace your ugliness.

7

Wherever there is beauty,
there is wisdom.
Wisdom is beautiful,
and, beauty is wise.

Wherever there is good
there is wisdom.
Wisdom is good,
and goodness is wise.

8

Fundamentally, life, in all its forms
is an expression of wisdom.
What, then, does it mean to be alive and stupid?
It is not the same as being dead,
because dead people are not stupid.
It is a mockery of life,
a living anti-life.
Stupid people are collaborators
on a scheme to murder
the concept of life.
But, they don't know this,
because they are stupid.

9

Wisdom and Stupidity flow freely
from your interactions to the surrounding
people and yourself.
So if you are constantly surrounded
by wisdom or stupidity, then
you may be the source.

10

A lie, believed, misinforms,
and makes stupid, the believer.
Don't lie to your believers,
unless they know you are a liar,
unless you are stupid and like stupidity.