[Choi Do-yeol's K-Aesthetics] Wise Women

Wise women embody wisdom, a gift that can only be attained through diligence, illuminating the path of human life like light itself. According to the Korean dictionary, wisdom is defined as 'the mental ability to quickly understand the principles of things and to accurately handle them.' Having extensive knowledge does not equate to being wise. Even if a person knows something, it is said to be less than a grain of sand. To gain wisdom, one must engage in contemplation and observation. Wisdom is recognizing one's own shortcomings. To be wise means knowing how to humble oneself. There is a Jewish proverb that states, 'The sun rises and sets without you.' Occasionally, we observe individuals around us who become arrogant due to their knowledge and lose their wisdom.

Wisdom serves as the great teacher of life. While the world is primarily driven by men, it is women who inspire men. Wisdom cannot be acquired through bartering or money. It is the light of a soul that possesses harmony and balance. In the vast universe and the mysteries of nature, our existence as humans is merely that of a small creature. The renowned American paleontologist and author of numerous scientific writings, Stephen Jay Gould, describes humanity as dust that appeared by chance in the history of the Earth, asserting that 'humanity should be a bit more humble.' Human arrogance arises from possessing knowledge without the judgment and discernment to distinguish right from wrong, which constitutes wisdom.

Marcel Proust remarked, 'Wisdom is not something received. After taking a journey that no one can take for you, you must discover wisdom for yourself.' Wisdom aids in navigating life's obstacles wisely. A leader must cultivate the ability to perceive others and be wise. When a fool governs the world, it brings suffering to the people, but when a wise person leads, it brings forth flowers of laughter. No matter how profound your wisdom may be, one individual cannot resolve everything. A person who cannot perceive the hearts of others is unfit to be a leader. Once the door to the wisdom of recognizing people opens, one can relatively easily and wisely navigate life's challenges.

To become a leader, one must learn wisdom. While a wealth of knowledge is important in life, what is more crucial is the necessity of self-management to become a wise individual. It is said that if a man meets a beautiful woman, he will be happy for three years; if he meets a good woman, he will be happy for thirty years; and if he meets a wise woman, he will be happy for three generations (approximately 90 years). Everyone desires to handle matters wisely with thoughtful insights. Knowledge can be acquired through study, but wisdom is gained through life experiences. The more wisdom one possesses, the deeper and more stable life becomes. A leader requires conviction, vision, and decisiveness. I hope that the wisdom that serves as a guiding light in life will brightly illuminate the lives of readers.

  Wise women are the lights that illuminate families and our society. Wisdom is the fruit harvested from life's experiences. Living teaches us that the coldest time is just before spring arrives, and the darkest hour is just before dawn. The most certain way to be deceived by others begins with believing oneself to be smarter than others. Do not be flustered in difficulties; even if all paths seem blocked, there is always one that remains open. Gazing at the mountains brings hope, and remember that youth is a state of mind, not age. Do not throw stones into the well just because you are not thirsty today. Do not push away friends simply because they are not needed today. If you betray today, you will suffer tomorrow. It is said that the remedy for human foolishness, prejudice, and dogmatism is wisdom.

 In quotes about wisdom, the Jewish book Talmud states, 'A wise person speaks of what they have seen, but a foolish person speaks of what they have heard.' Immanuel Kant said, 'Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is an organized life.' The Italian poet Dante remarked, 'The wisest person mourns the most for wasted time.' During the reign of King Chungnyeol of Goryeo, the scholar Choo Jeok's Mindfulness Book states, 'Without experiencing one thing, one cannot grow one piece of wisdom.' The French philosopher Michel de Montaigne said, 'One can become knowledgeable through the knowledge of others, but to be wise, one must possess one's own wisdom.' I encourage readers to learn knowledge from books and wisdom from life and to actively apply it. Wisdom is 'the mental ability to understand the principles of things and to accurately handle them.'

 Choi Do-yeol, Columnist

-Ph.D. in Public Administration/Poet• Essayist/Director of the National Development Policy Research Institute/Legislative Support Committee Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea/Entered politics as a national youth representative for President Kim Young-sam, the 14th President/Chief of Staff for the representative of the Democratic Party/Standing Committee Member of the Korean National Unification Advisory Council/Chairman of the Committee for the Adoption of Korean as an Official UN Language/Former Professor of Public Administration at Soongsil University/Secretary-General of the Korean Special Martial Arts Association