STREET DOGS: Wisdom is prevention
Virtually all difficulties are easier to avoid than to solve, according to Rolf Dobelli
What is wisdom, asks Rolf Dobelli, in his book The Art of the Good Life. "Wisdom is a practical ability," he says. "It’s a measure of the skill with which we navigate life. "Once you’ve come to realise that virtually all difficulties are easier to avoid than to solve, the following simple definition will be self-evident: ‘Wisdom is prevention.’" Einstein put it this way: "A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it." "The trouble is that avoidance isn’t sexy," says Dobelli. "Imagine two film plots, A and B. In film A, a ship runs into an iceberg. The ship sinks. The noble captain selflessly, heart-wrenchingly rescues all the passengers from drowning. He’s the last person to leave the ship and clamber into a lifeboat…. In film B, the captain steers the ship around the iceberg, keeping a sensible distance. "Which film would you pay to watch? A, of course. But which situation would you prefer as an actual passenger on the ship? That’s equally obvious: B. "[Afterwards] Cap...
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