Similar to the nature versus nurture debate, I pose the question of with age comes wisdom, or does it really? To be honest I’ll question anything, gps directions, my spouse’s ideas, my family, if time really does heal all wounds (conclusion of yet, mostly yes), and even an expiration date because come on. You’re giving me a date of when this packaged food is set to end its edible life? I’m that person who will cut the mold off the corner and move on…taste over date every time. This question in particular always looms around in my mind making me consider things I have read, seen, and done in the past that sometimes were in fact better I surmise than today’s choice or idea. Who hasn’t looked at someone twice their age and said “who raised this person” (there’s that nature vs nurture, apparently the common collective is nurture on human offspring), or “you’re 40 something years old and this is what you’re doing?” Call that judgmental as it may be, but hey judgement is defined as being able to consider a decision or come to a sensible conclusion and that my friends is why I would never back down from saying yes, I judge. With each year passing it’s expiration date I do see how a fair amount of wisdom has come along, but has age been the bearer? To me it would be more of a lessons learned and experiences had that gift the tools of sagacity, and the ever so obvious willingness to learn. Sure, I may not be 90 yet or have taken a walk in everyone’s shoes however I do know I have seen a lot of lives that have made me all the wiser as to who I still strive to be. There was a man I knew growing up who would always tell me “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over & over again and expecting different results” so maybe the opposite of insanity is wisdom, and wisdom really isn’t acquired with age rather than trying something new or seeing things as you normally wouldn’t.
P.S. “A wise man once said…” But at what age did said wise man say? -SM
