The Importance of Wisdom

The core of what we now call the Socratic method comes from Socrates' real and often annoying habit of going around asking questions. The Greek word for wisdom was Sophia, which in Latin became sapientia - why man is called homo sapiens. Jesus advised his followers to be wise as snakes and innocent as doves. Proverbs 4-7 holds acquiring wisdom to be the most important thing people can do. Tolstoy expressed his exasperation at people who didn't read deeply and regularly.