Why do wise people always sound so profound?

Charles Diaz56 said:Quite so. Since I clearly lack the necessary wisdom.
The truly wise don't bother posting...🙂

Actually... I was just passing along an old aphorism!

I remember once reading where Alan Watts was quoting—if I recall correctly—Lao Tse, who famously noted:
"Those who know do not say, and those who say do not know"

...to which Alan quipped: "and yet he said it." 😁

So, really, I was just pulling that same little trick on you. 😁

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shamantrixx says: Actually... I was just repeating an old aphorism to you! I remember Alan Watts once quoting (if I recall correctly) Lao Tse, who famously noted: "Those who know do not say, and those who say do not know" ...to which Alan quipped: "and yet he said it." 😁 So, there you go—I basically just sold you that same little joke! 😁

Honestly, the people here who are still searching for the Truth seem to need a picture book to understand this. What Lao Tse is actually getting at is this:

"Those who know the TAO do not say ANYTHING ABOUT IT."

Beginners completely shut their mouths when faced with a true sage—and that's exactly why they stay beginners, isn't it?

placidharbor7 said:Quote:>

shamantrixx says: Actually... I was just repeating an old aphorism to you! I remember Alan Watts once quoting (if I recall correctly) Lao Tse, who famously noted: "Those who know do not say, and those who say do not know" ...to which Alan quipped: "and yet he said it." 😁 So, there you go—I basically just sold you that same little joke! 😁

Honestly, the people here who are still searching for the Truth seem to need a picture book to understand this. What Lao Tse is actually getting at is this:

"Those who know the TAO do not say ANYTHING ABOUT IT."

Beginners completely shut their mouths when faced with a true sage—and that's exactly why they stay beginners, isn't it?

And in your eyes, who exactly qualifies as a "true sage"?

Jeffrey Gray4 said:And in your eyes, who exactly qualifies as a "true sage"?

They’re the ones who truly grasp the essence of the Tao—yet they don't waste even a single breath talking about it! Instead, they pour all their energy and time into everything else. That's the secret, isn't it? You have to learn how to flow with life.😲😍

placidharbor7 said:They’re the ones who truly grasp the essence of the Tao—yet they don't waste even a single breath talking about it! Instead, they pour all their energy and time into everything else. That's the secret, isn't it? You have to learn how to flow with life.😲😍

Oh yeah, that’s just brilliant. Best advice I’ve heard all day.
So tell me, exactly who or what am I supposed to be "adapting" to? 😁
(I'm going to squeeze you dry with questions like a lemon; as long as you've got something to say, I'm staying right here, you hear me?😍)

Jeffrey Gray4 said:I’ve been stuck on one question lately.

Are proverbs meant strictly for the enlightened elite, or should their wisdom actually be useful to the average person?

To clarify:
When I read these "wise" sayings, I often notice they're so convoluted that half the population can't even wrap their heads around them.

So here's my point:
Can someone truly claim to be wise if they aren't willing to make that wisdom accessible to the common man?

Sometimes the whole point is just to strain your brain trying to decipher the nonsense.
Not all knowledge is served on a silver platter or just handed down to you. A sage might just show you the exit instead.

Nobody gets to open every door by themselves. Not even a sage.

Jeffrey Gray4 said:I’ve been stuck on one question lately.

Are proverbs meant strictly for the enlightened elite, or should their wisdom actually be useful to the average person?

To clarify:
When I read these "wise" sayings, I often notice they're so convoluted that half the population can't even wrap their heads around them.

So here's my point:
Can someone truly claim to be wise if they aren't willing to make that wisdom accessible to the common man?

A sage doesn't have to, nor necessarily can, hand over their wisdom. The goal is to trigger a realization within someone else.
There are plenty of variables at play there, and most of them have nothing to do with the person doing the talking.

I definitely see the skepticism regarding a "sage" who isn't clever enough to pass on what they know.

Jeffrey Gray4 said:Do you really think that's possible? Ever since we were kids, we've been taught to put people into little boxes. Even when we realize nobody is just one single thing—everyone is a mix of many things—we still fall back on those labels. Does that mean most people aren't actually wise?
What are the actual traits and virtues of a wise person versus their flaws?
Just trying to get my bearings here.

Well, I guess that means we've gotta unlearn how to look at those pre-drawn boxes in the first place. 😉

Wisdom is inversely proportional to libido.

hollowpuma762 said:Sometimes the whole point is just to strain your brain trying to decipher the nonsense.
Not all knowledge is served on a silver platter or just handed down to you. A sage might just show you the exit instead.

Nobody gets to open every door by themselves. Not even a sage.

A sage doesn't have to, nor necessarily can, hand over their wisdom. The goal is to trigger a realization within someone else.
There are plenty of variables at play there, and most of them have nothing to do with the person doing the talking.

I definitely see the skepticism regarding a "sage" who isn't clever enough to pass on what they know.

Peter Phillips32 and I have already discussed this—you need at least two people for any real interaction to happen.

A sage isn't obligated to, nor necessarily able to, present their wisdom. The goal is to spark insight in someone else.
There are too many variables involved that don't depend solely on the teacher.

That’s the truth right there.

I'd agree that the whole concept of a "sage" is questionable if they aren't actually wise enough to pass on what they know.

Exactly. That's the problem. You end up with a "sage" who lacks the basic competence to convey their own knowledge.
We all have that one moment in our lives where we finally "get it," but the real test is whether we're wise enough to pass that on to someone else—assuming they're actually listening and ready to learn.

hollowpuma762 said:Well, I guess that means we've gotta unlearn how to look at those pre-drawn boxes in the first place. 😉

We look at those damn blueprints every single day. Honestly, it’s the only way we know how to explain things to people—just shoving everything into pre-made slots.
😳That was a metaphor, for what it's worth.🙂

Jeffrey Gray4 said:Do you really think that's possible? Ever since we were kids, we've been taught to put people into little boxes. Even when we realize nobody is just one single thing—everyone is a mix of many things—we still fall back on those labels. Does that mean most people aren't actually wise?
What are the actual traits and virtues of a wise person versus their flaws?
Just trying to get my bearings here.

Look, if we can learn one thing, we can learn another.
It’s just gonna take some damn time for new habits to kick in and actually replace the old ones.

most people would probably say that everyone who's a sage fits that description most of the time, right?

Well, they're sages to a certain extent. You know how it goes—you look at someone else's mess and the solution is staring you right in the face, but when it's your own life, you get all subjective and stubborn and can't even see the problem, let alone fix it. Reaching that level of objectivity within yourself is basically what you need if you want any kind of wisdom.

what are the actual traits and virtues of a sage versus their flaws?
just for some perspective

Honestly, I don't think "being a sage" should even be a profession. The fact that it's treated like a job just shows how much people are out of sync with themselves.
As humans, we should just naturally act with wisdom.
You gotta have broad interests, because that leads to wider thinking and better skills, helping you connect different parts of life, which obviously helps you understand yourself and the world around you way better. And I don't think you end up being a "Jack of all trades but master of none" this way—because while you pick up bits of everything, you still dive deep into a few things.

It’s honestly ridiculous that our schools focus so heavily on speech and verbal communication but barely touch on non-verbal stuff.

A calm person, because that means you actually understand your own feelings and thoughts. No fear, no doubt, no shame, no jealousy.
Acting in total alignment with what you actually think.

Anyway, I'm gonna stop here; I haven't got the time to sit on the forum and go deep right now. Just chew on that for a bit—think about what else might make someone a better human being.

I don't think I need to say more, you've made your point. But if you ask me, they really ought to start teaching people how to understand their own psychology from a much younger age. It’s the only tool we truly have to actually heal ourselves.

And look... since you’re asking why I’m always acting like such a sage... it's actually pretty hard to give you a straight answer😂... it’s probably just because I already blew all my stupid ideas out of my system, so now there's nothing left but the smart stuff

Out of all the different ways people try to act deep, the most famous one has to be that whole "silence is golden" routine. But honestly, I find myself wondering if that’s actually wisdom or if it’s just a convenient way to mask the fact that someone hasn't a clue what they're talking about... it really just depends on the situation, doesn't it? 🤷
So, I guess the burden falls on us to figure out if we're dealing with a legitimate sage or just someone being quiet, which implies that if we actually grasp the depth of what they aren't saying, then somehow that makes us wise too. 😛
If we can't make heads or tails of someone's supposed profound insights, there's a pretty good chance it's nothing more than mindless babbling, which leads me to believe that we are essentially our own yardstick for deciding what counts as true wisdom.

There isn't much profound truth to be found in any of this, really. 😁

A true sage tends to speak with a certain subtlety, perhaps just enough to nudge the listener toward their own contemplation; I suppose a real wise person doesn't simply hand out pearls of wisdom, but rather guides you so that you might discover them for yourself.

Jeffrey Gray4 said:I’ve been stuck on one question lately.

Are proverbs meant strictly for the enlightened elite, or should their wisdom actually be useful to the average person?

To clarify:
When I read these "wise" sayings, I often notice they're so convoluted that half the population can't even wrap their heads around them.

So here's my point:
Can someone truly claim to be wise if they aren't willing to make that wisdom accessible to the common man?

I think Foucault argues that these types of thinkers don't always act wisely. Personally, I believe there's wisdom in everyone, whether they're a regular Joe or someone famous.

Jeffrey Gray4 said:I’ve been stuck on one question lately.

Are proverbs meant strictly for the enlightened elite, or should their wisdom actually be useful to the average person?

To clarify:
When I read these "wise" sayings, I often notice they're so convoluted that half the population can't even wrap their heads around them.

So here's my point:
Can someone truly claim to be wise if they aren't willing to make that wisdom accessible to the common man?

I suppose if someone truly grasps a profound saying, they become a bit wiser themselves through that understanding, though I guess some insights do require a bit more intellectual heavy lifting.

Jeffrey Gray4 said:I’ve been stuck on one question lately.

Are proverbs meant strictly for the enlightened elite, or should their wisdom actually be useful to the average person?

To clarify:
When I read these "wise" sayings, I often notice they're so convoluted that half the population can't even wrap their heads around them.

So here's my point:
Can someone truly claim to be wise if they aren't willing to make that wisdom accessible to the common man?

True wisdom lies in those proverbs where you have to read between the lines...

They just don't have any imagination.

Eric Taylor5 said:I suppose if someone truly grasps a profound saying, they become a bit wiser themselves through that understanding, though I guess some insights do require a bit more intellectual heavy lifting.

Once again, you're dragging us right back to square one. 😉

People just can't read between the lines. 😛

It's the same old story. When a wise person hears a deep truth, they recognize it immediately. But those who fail to grasp it? It's useless to them. 😳 And honestly, it's barely useful to the people who *do* get it, because they already knew it anyway. 😍