One of Pop’s favorite movies is Secondhand Lions. He particularly likes the parts about one of the uncle’s “. . . speech that I give to young men.”
Although Uncle Hub only shares part of that speech, Pop figures that he has a good idea as to what the rest of it entails.
Knowledge is the sum of one’s acquisition of learning and education. Wisdom is knowing how to apply that knowledge based upon experience. In other words, with age comes experience. With experience, seasoned with reasonable intelligence, comes wisdom. The youthful urge towards impulsiveness is curbed for a more practical assessment of the resultant potential consequences of poor judgements and decision making. Our choices ultimately then define our character. And somewhere within everyone’s character is the wisdom attained from adversity. The Roman poet Horace is credited with stating “Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant.”
Arrogance is believing that because of one’s position and/or the adoration of sycophants that one is wise and superior. (Pop said he’s known more than one “man of the cloth” like that.) We have a local young politician that displays, as a friend says, “He was born on third base but thinks he hit a triple!”
Ultimately all that knowledge and wisdom doesn’t mean squat unless you have the character to use it.
Character is what you really are while your reputation is what others think you are. Character flaws are common. We all suffer from the human condition and, regardless of our protests to the contrary, none of us are beyond reproach. Granted, some flaws are deeper than others whether they are transparent and obvious or well concealed. They’re there.
Good works may bolster our reputation and can even create a larger-than-life legacy.
There is often a struggle for us to reconcile the chasm between questionable behaviors (indicative of our true character) and good works such as humanitarianism, philanthropy, and service. Poor choices of a civil or legal nature may carry consequences but who among us has the moral equilibrium to know what constitutes a balance? Perhaps it is solely a spiritual conviction that sways us either way. In the end, though, should our character ever be called into question, the only thing that will matter will be the character we display throughout that adversity. That will ultimately determine our legacy. Our reputation matters not.
With those deep thoughts to digest, Pop would share these thoughts in his speech to young men:
Be a man of principle. Fight for what you believe in. Keep your word. Live with integrity. Be brave. Serve your country. Be a mentor. Lead from the front. Be self-confident but humble.
One of these days I’m gonna do a better job of listening in when Pop mentors some of the young fellas. Maybe I can get them to toss a rock or two for me while they soak up some uncommon, common sense.