The Beginning of Wisdom

British|Lloyd Morris

"The days that make us happy make us wise."—John Masefield When I first read this line by England's Poet Laureate, it startled me. What did Masefield mean? Without thinking about it much, I had always assumed that the opposite was true. But his sober assurance was arresting. I could not forget it.

Finally, I seemed to grasp his meaning and realized that here was a profound observation. The wisdom is that happiness lies inclear perception1, not fogged2by anxiety nor dimmed3by despair and boredom, and without the blind spots caused by fear.

Active happiness not mere satisfaction or contentment—often comes suddenly, like an April shower or the unfolding of a bud. Then you discover what kind of wisdom has accompanied it. The grass is greener, bird songs are sweeter, and the shortcomings4of your friends are more understandable and more forgivable. Happiness is like a pair of eyeglasses correcting your spiritual vision.

Nor are the insights of happiness limited to what is near around you. Unhappy, with your thoughts turned in upon your emotional woes, your vision is cut short as though by a wall. When happy, the wall crumbles.

The long vista is there for the seeing. The ground at your feet, the world about you—people, thoughts, emotions, pressures are now fitted into the larger scene. Everything assumes a fairer proportion. And here is the beginning of wisdom.

热词天地

1.perception [pə'sepʃn] n．知觉；感知；洞察力

2.fog[fɒg] vt．以雾包围；使模糊；使迷惑

3.dim[dɪm] vt.& vi.（使）变暗淡；（使）变模糊；（使）减弱；变淡漠

4.shortcoming ['ʃɔ:tkʌmɪŋ] n．短处，缺点

think about考虑……；捉摸……；对……有（某种观点）；回想起……