The Smartest of All is not Necessarily the Wisest of All

"Boy", as grandpa began speaking to me while we were walking out to the back forty,  "there is a big difference in the process of learning and the process of being taught something. If you want to be taught something it doesn't matter who you go to to be taught. There are plenty of people who are willing to teach you what he thinks he knows. And they will feel honored that you came to them. And it will require very little work and time on your part to understand everything he has to teach you. He is a man who wants you to know just how smart he is and you will find many people listening to him.

Learning something though is another matter. It requires that you find someone far wiser than your self. It will require a lot of work and time on your part to be able to learn everything a wise man has to offer you for a wise man knows how little he has to offer and will be very reluctant to speak out and reveal his ignorance to you and you will find that he be a man alone in his thoughts.

A smart man will ask questions so that getting the answer to his question he will know how to lead you down the path to the conclusions that he wishes you to come to. A wise man will remain silent and in his silence influence you to ask him the questions that you need answers to so that you may evaluate your own ideas.

A smart man thinks he knows the answers. A wise man realizes that he knows there is much to learn. A smart man thinks he can help everybody if he could only get the cooperation he needs. A wise man seeks to help only those that he personally can help. One needs to force others to help. The other needs only to be asked for help.

A smart man believes that power should come with authority. A wise man realizes that with power comes responsibility. One will seek to hold power and find corruption to be his companion. The other will seek to limit his power and find virtue to be his companion.

It is the smart man who seeks to learn from his own experiences. It is the wise man who will seek to learn from the experiences of others. Both will make mistakes. One will repeat the mistakes of the past. The other will be an example for the future.

It is the smart man who judges from the conclusions he comes to. It is the wise man who judges by the premises he possesses. From the one the body will seek the food of life without thought of the poverty of the soul. From the other the soul will seek the food of life so that the body may thrive in its poverty. For all men are poor and poverty is the essence of imperfection.

It is the smart man who will demand that others need to walk in his path of life. It is the wise man that realizes that each man must find his own path to walk. One will find out that his mistakes are the mistakes of all that follow him and that all must suffer the consequences of his mistakes. The other will know that only he must accept the consequences of his mistakes as must others know the consequences of theirs.

It is the smart man who sees the inequalities of life and find pity for those who possess less than others and envy those with more. It is the wise man who sees the inequalities of life and respects those who possesses less and honors those who possess more. One will label others in terms of his possessions in this life. The other will label others in terms of their endeavors in this life.

So, boy, as you grow up to be a man you will need to make choices. It will be your choices that will determine whether you will be seen as a smart man or perceived to be a fool. Don't be fooled into being the one and don't be so ignorant as to think you are the other."

With these words spoken he quietly began to work and I followed his example.