Wisdom vs Courage

To be able to exercise true courage, first, we must have the wisdom to decide on the best action to take that is going to give us the best outcome. Once the values for or against are weighed up, then an action can be considered.

If an action is taken without considering the impact of that action, the likely-hood of it succeeding without due harm is usually negligible. If it does succeed, it is more by luck than good management. That is not courage but impetuosity. Where is the wisdom in that?

In human nature, we have our thinkers' and we have our doers'.
Thinkers are more inclined to think through a problem and worry it to death until action is past doing good anyway.
Doers usually jump straight into action without thinking the situation through and nine times out of ten, make matters worse or at best, make no impact.

It takes a special type of person to be both. To me, they are the people who show the most wisdom in every-day life. I'm talking about Wisdom as apposed to Knowledge. We can have all the knowledge in the world but it doesn't automatically mean we always know how or when to us it. We need that special ability to know when and how to put that knowledge to the best advantage in a given situation.
It's like knowing when to let your child climb a tree and having the courage to stand there, with your whole body wanting to call out NO, but only issuing words of encouragement.
Like a Bus driver with a bus full of passengers, driving along the road; a fire forms behind them and the road ahead is washed away. He must think of which action to take that will save the most lives. Fire or water. Only then must he find the courage to carry out the action his wisdom has directed him to take.

Learn more about this author, Pauline Clementson.
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