Knowledge vs Wisdom
Laozi Old Man
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Detroit, MI
Posts: 6,665
Knowledge vs Wisdom
I am fond of collecting definitions of the concept of Wisdom. While there are many different definitions of wisdom, the one most common is; “wisdom is applied knowledge”. By this standard, the Nazi’s would have been considered wise men because they were masters at applying cold, objective and brutal knowledge. But who in their right mind would call Nazi’s wise men? My personal favorite definition is; “wisdom is not so much about acquiring knowledge, as it is about shedding misconceptions”.
One of the major misconceptions in addiction recovery that I had to overcome was the idea that the same tools that enabled me to stop drinking were the same tools that would enable me to stay stopped. Stopping drinking is one thing, but staying stopped is a whole new ball game. Getting stopped requires applying knowledge. Staying stopped requires shedding misconceptions.
The psychological tricks and tips that helped me obtain abstinence are not at all the same principles that keep me in recovery today. The easy to grasp slogans and frightening war-stories that were so critical in my first few weeks of abstinence were excellent tools to get me to want to stop drinking, but were never strong enough to keep me in recovery for the long run.
Slogans such as; “one day at a time” were essential in the early days of my recovery. I doubt that I could have survived without them. In the beginning, it truly was a one-day at a time program for me. Sometimes it was a one-hour at a time or even a one-minute at a time program. However, at some stage of my recovery, I had to abandon these tricks & tips and move on to more powerful tools such as new ways of thinking and spiritual tools.
As an alcoholic I have many blind spots and my brain may even be damaged in areas used for intuitive thinking. I need to somehow circumvent these dysfunctional maladies.
In other words, just not drinking does not treat alcoholism. I had to face the fact that I was uncomfortable in my own skin before I started drinking and was once again uncomfortable in my own skin after I stopped. The only long-term solution to my problem was finding a new way “taking comfort” that did not involve some sort of substance such as a liquid spirits or pills.
Since I already knew that a liquid spirit had once worked for me, but started causing me more pain than gain, I began to look for another form of spiritual solution. Namely; spiritual principles. Specifically, principles aimed at finding me the peace of mind that would allow me to be comfortable in my own skin once again, without being anesthetized.
The slogans and war-stories that helped me stay motivated in my early days of abstinence did in fact give me the diligence and tenacity to overcome my urges to pick up a drink and temporarily overcome my feelings of anxiety, frustration, guilt and despair. The problem with using diligence and tenacity were that in the long run they were mentally exhausting.
Like the ancient Greek hero “Sisyphus”, I had to push a stone up-hill 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Something that I was able to do long enough to meet my short-term goals (passing a drug screening) but not something that I could live with for the rest of my life. What I needed was a way to be totally relieved of the temptation to drink. Not just something to help me temporarily resist the temptation. Resistance is a struggle and I knew that to struggle for the rest of my life was futile. Just choosing not to drink, one arduous day at a time, was not my long-term solution. What I truly needed was a way of life that would weather all storms.
What I needed to stay stopped was a “one life at a time” strategy. Something far to difficult for me to grasp in my early days of recovery. What is the long-term solution? Serenity, the “Deluxe Edition” of sobriety. It includes sobriety, peace of mind, optimism and a starting point for meditation. Without serenity, sobriety may not be worth having. True sobriety rides on the coat-tails of serenity.
One of the major misconceptions in addiction recovery that I had to overcome was the idea that the same tools that enabled me to stop drinking were the same tools that would enable me to stay stopped. Stopping drinking is one thing, but staying stopped is a whole new ball game. Getting stopped requires applying knowledge. Staying stopped requires shedding misconceptions.
The psychological tricks and tips that helped me obtain abstinence are not at all the same principles that keep me in recovery today. The easy to grasp slogans and frightening war-stories that were so critical in my first few weeks of abstinence were excellent tools to get me to want to stop drinking, but were never strong enough to keep me in recovery for the long run.
Slogans such as; “one day at a time” were essential in the early days of my recovery. I doubt that I could have survived without them. In the beginning, it truly was a one-day at a time program for me. Sometimes it was a one-hour at a time or even a one-minute at a time program. However, at some stage of my recovery, I had to abandon these tricks & tips and move on to more powerful tools such as new ways of thinking and spiritual tools.
As an alcoholic I have many blind spots and my brain may even be damaged in areas used for intuitive thinking. I need to somehow circumvent these dysfunctional maladies.
In other words, just not drinking does not treat alcoholism. I had to face the fact that I was uncomfortable in my own skin before I started drinking and was once again uncomfortable in my own skin after I stopped. The only long-term solution to my problem was finding a new way “taking comfort” that did not involve some sort of substance such as a liquid spirits or pills.
Since I already knew that a liquid spirit had once worked for me, but started causing me more pain than gain, I began to look for another form of spiritual solution. Namely; spiritual principles. Specifically, principles aimed at finding me the peace of mind that would allow me to be comfortable in my own skin once again, without being anesthetized.
The slogans and war-stories that helped me stay motivated in my early days of abstinence did in fact give me the diligence and tenacity to overcome my urges to pick up a drink and temporarily overcome my feelings of anxiety, frustration, guilt and despair. The problem with using diligence and tenacity were that in the long run they were mentally exhausting.
Like the ancient Greek hero “Sisyphus”, I had to push a stone up-hill 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Something that I was able to do long enough to meet my short-term goals (passing a drug screening) but not something that I could live with for the rest of my life. What I needed was a way to be totally relieved of the temptation to drink. Not just something to help me temporarily resist the temptation. Resistance is a struggle and I knew that to struggle for the rest of my life was futile. Just choosing not to drink, one arduous day at a time, was not my long-term solution. What I truly needed was a way of life that would weather all storms.
What I needed to stay stopped was a “one life at a time” strategy. Something far to difficult for me to grasp in my early days of recovery. What is the long-term solution? Serenity, the “Deluxe Edition” of sobriety. It includes sobriety, peace of mind, optimism and a starting point for meditation. Without serenity, sobriety may not be worth having. True sobriety rides on the coat-tails of serenity.
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,416
uh Boleo you posted this already.
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...vs-wisdom.html
Interesting enough debate?
But I can't really see it's place here.
People need help and support here - not longwinded rambling semantic discourse, IMO
For myself, I'd have preferred, if you felt the need, that you bumped the existing thread in it's existing forum.
D
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...vs-wisdom.html
Interesting enough debate?
But I can't really see it's place here.
People need help and support here - not longwinded rambling semantic discourse, IMO
For myself, I'd have preferred, if you felt the need, that you bumped the existing thread in it's existing forum.
D
Laozi Old Man
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Detroit, MI
Posts: 6,665
Originally Posted by Dee74 
uh Boleo you posted this already.
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...vs-wisdom.html
Interesting enough debate?
But I can't really see it's place here.
For myself, I'd have preferred, if you felt the need, that you bumped the existing thread in it's existing forum.
D
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...vs-wisdom.html
Interesting enough debate?
But I can't really see it's place here.
For myself, I'd have preferred, if you felt the need, that you bumped the existing thread in it's existing forum.
D
How do I go about doing the "bumped the existing thread" thing?
Looking For Myself...Sober
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Where the heart is
Posts: 10,209
carry on
Please dont kill me...Thats what came to mind when I read that.
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