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Master Sage
Archie here! Today I will be going through a section of biblical literature written by someone who was actually even before my time. Often considered to be the wisest man of his day, King Solomon of ancient Israel composed thousands of proverbs and songs. This excerpt comes from the Jewish Kohelet, what we would call the book of Ecclesiastes. In it he lays out a profound case for Nihilism as potent as anything you will find reading Kierkegaard or Nietzsche.
“’The greatest futility!’ says the congregator. ‘Everything is futile!’” (Ec 12:8)
And so it was for this old King. Though he had been granted rulership and wisdom and all the wealth in the world, he realized that he would meet the same end as the lowliest of sinners and fools. Reflecting on this fact can really put a damper on your sense of meaning.
Towards the end of this meditation, Solomon makes an interesting observation about the pursuit of wisdom..
“The words of the wise are like oxgoads, and their collected sayings are like firmly embedded nails; they have been given from one shepherd.” (Ec 12:11)
Let’s take that apart a little bit. He compares real wisdom to “oxgoads” which were sticks used by farmers to direct and motivate cattle pulling carts out in the field. Traditionally Crops are sown in even rows, which means they need to be running straight. So the farmer used goads to make sure the oxen weren’t veering off course. Wisdom does the same thing for us in that it steers and motivates us to stay on the best path.
He also uses the example of “firmly embedded nails.” This is pretty straightforward. We need wisdom to keep us well grounded. It holds us in place and keeps us stable when the winds of change would otherwise rock our thoughts and emotions out of balance.
After illustrating the importance of wisdom, he then identifies the source. He says that true wisdom comes from “one shepherd.” A shepherd? Rabbinic tradition doesn’t leave us in the dark here. To Solomon, this one shepherd was none other than God, who is often described as a shepherd to the people of Israel.
Then he says..
“As for anything besides these, my son, be warned: To the making of many books there is no end, and much devotion to them is wearisome to the flesh.” (Ec 12:12)
This is an interesting piece of advice, because it runs counter to the common view that a Sage must be constantly reading and learning. Is Solomon really saying that reading is bad? To get a better context, we find a similar sentiment at the beginning of the Kohelet..
“For an abundance of wisdom brings an abundance of frustration, so that whoever increases knowledge increases pain.” (Ec 1:18)
So is this just a reverse engineered version of the old mantra “ignorance is bliss?” That certainly is one of the conclusions that Solomon draws from his experience. For Solomon, the more you reflect on the human condition, the more open to existential nihilism you become. In other words, were all going to die, and everyone we care about with us. So what’s the point of accumulating wisdom and wealth? Just enjoy the time you have and live the noblest life possible.
But in the same breath, he talked about how wisdom is good for us! Now you have a taste of the confusion scholars have felt interpreting this text through the millennia.
Here’s my take on it.
Imagine what it was like to be King Solomon of Israel. The accounts we have available about his early years show that his greatest wish was to have enough wisdom to be a good King. Not only did he pray to his God for wisdom, he surrounded himself with counselors and books and foreign dignitaries of all sorts.
Just think of all the books he had at his disposal, all the scholars and scribes and nobles interacting with him every day. As a Jewish king he would be reading and interpreting the Law of Moses all the time. So many opinions flying at him from all directions, all of them demanding his attention (not to mention his hundreds of wives), many of which differing from each other. This could be, as he puts it, “wearisome to the flesh,” especially when his decisions didn’t work out the way he wanted.
And well, if Solomon thought there were a lot of books back then, he would be absolutely stunned by the library of Congress!
And nowadays we don’t just have books. We have blogs and newspapers and magazines and memes and tweets, all clawing for our attention! Not only do we not have time for it all, but if we read six different articles giving us advice on life, all of them telling us to do the opposite of the last, that can be flat out frustrating.
Seeing as how there is so much material out there and so little time, how is a Sage to pick and choose what he/she is to read? For Solomon, the best source of wisdom was God. Why is that? Well, someone with the classic attributes of God (omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence) would certainly be the most qualified person to talk to on any subject.
Now, if you go underneath this advice for the moment, the underlying principal to follow is this: Take advice and wisdom from the most qualified person you can get it from.
So it behooves the Sage to be selective in what he takes into his mind. Don’t read garbage and gossip. Don’t crowd your mind with things that are of no lasting value. Every time you pick up something to read, ask yourself the following questions.
Questions to Ask Before Reading Anything
- Will this make me a more knowledgeable, well balanced person? Or will it encourage me to lie to myself, hate a person or group, or waste my time?
- Is this piece pushing a narrative for the purpose of swaying my thinking in one direction or another? If so, is it based on evidence or opinion?
- How will this help me? What does it have to offer me and is it aligned with my goals or potential goals?
- Do I know who wrote this article/post/book? Are they a reputable source, and do they generally get good reviews from their readers?
Do this every time. You may be surprised by how much time you are wasting, and how much you are “wearying your flesh” with gobbledygook.
Conclusion
It is often said that “you are what you eat.” I would add to that, “you are what you read and watch.” What you put into your mind now will pop up later when you make decisions. Therefore, don’t become a victim of authors who have their own best interest at heart not yours, authors that don’t have a clue what they’re talking about, and don’t back up what they say with substance. Beware of authors who are clearly plucking your heart strings in order to sell you something, whether it be a useless course or a hollow ideology. You’re a Sage now, and as such, your hard-earned wisdom will serve as an oxgoad against such things, and as firmly embedded nails to keep you there. Take King Solomon’s advice: READ the best, BE the best!
So what do you think?
Please share your thoughts below! Where do you go for good sources of information? How do you overcome feelings of nihilism and hopelessness?
From Athens’ forum to ours. Live wisely my friends.
Archie the Sage