“Wisdom is what’s left after we’ve run out of personal opinions.” -Cullen Hightower
Seriously, this old conservative quipster is saying something important. How much conflict and confusion comes about because we are busy spouting opinions? Honestly, just in parenting there are the extremes of thinking the government can raise our kids more effectively than we can…to…saying ‘No’ to a child (ever) will totally damage it for good.
Can’t we dump our opinions and ask a useful question like, “What is really true?’
I mean, do kids really do the right thing because they deep down just ‘want to’? I don’t know, what do you think? 🙂
Of course, when I say “think”— I mean, “Do you have any facts on which you base your view?”
Personally, I concluded some time ago that the Bible was all facts (not opinions) because it was (in my crazy view) given to us by God Himself.
So, when I see a verse like Proverbs 29:12 for parenting, I get it.
It says, “When a king listens to lies, all of his servants become evil.”
What do we listen to from our kids’ mouth…and…what is our listening encouraging? Doesn’t that tell us something? Basically, it really is about common sense.
It is all cause and effect with little children…they do what serves them best. It is unique to each child (but not by much). If we encourage a behavior we will tend to see it.
Seriously…why not just pursue abandoning opinions? Why not give them up or hold them lightly? Why not just look at how things really work…and admit the truth?
That is wisdom…at least of a practical kind.
Of course, this is just my opinion 😉
Fred
