This topic was suggested to me in a meditation I was recommended to do when I, once again, couldn't think of anything to write about in this Monthly Musing. So, once again, I am not sure what I'm going to write but I'm going to write it. This seems so counter to my hyper-organized, planner mentality, which tends to come at odds with my introspective, free-spirited artist mentality, but here I am. And here I digress before I even get to a point of digression.
Ok.
Here I am really hoping these stream-of-conscioussness posts are somehow impactful.
Wisdom.
I hold a Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy so it only seems natural for me to discuss Socrates when it comes to the topic of wisdom. Short Version (see Plato's "Apology"): Socrates was prophesied by the Oracle at Delphi to be the "Wisest man in Athens" and yet he couldn't believe it to be so. He, being Socrates, went to all the people in Athens he believed to be wise and found they only claimed to have knowledge or wisdom, yet spoke of things they did not actually know much about. Socrates, then, was the wisest man in Athens because he did not claim to be wise.
So here I am, feeling I've not much to offer you in this blog post on wisdom, and maybe I just leave it at that. I'm here, asking to receive something of substance to share, offering what I do have, and trusting it can be enough. I've written about this idea before (see "On Trusting the Process") but maybe this is the sort of routine reminder my readers need. Moreover, it's likely the routine reminder that I need.
When I speak to people who have considered making music yet don't truly believe they can (which seems incredible because, to me, being a human means being musical - perhaps another blog post?), I find they think they don't know enough, can't do enough, aren't musical enough, some iteration of "not enough". Yet one can interpret Plato's Apology by believing Socrates was wise because he set out to question, to learn, and eventually adapted his mentality with an open mind. I think this is the lesson worth taking at this point, anyway.
To move forward in music or otherwise, one needs some combination of trust, patience, and open-mindedness - perhaps this is the formula for wisdom. Interestingly, the other words that came to mind in this meditation were "trust" and "peace" - two things I feel more acquainted with by the end of this post. I am hoping this embodiment of concepts can be translated and embodied by you as well.
Stay wise.
Comments