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“Does not wisdom call, and does not understanding raise her voice?
On the heights, beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand;
beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries out:
‘To you, O people, I call, and my cry is to all that live.
O simple ones, learn prudence; acquire intelligence, you who lack it.
Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right;
for my mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips.’”
–– Proverbs 8:1-7
Rocky over Mister T, John McClane over Hans Gruber, Bond over Blofeld, Lt. Aldo Ray over Col. Hans Landa, Clarice Starling over Jame Gumb –– adrenaline balloons when we see the hero clobber the villain. There’s a collective cathartic release as the rogue reels and the exemplar of good walks into the sunset. Yet, I find myself even more exhilarated when I see the arrogant humbled by commoner, such as we find in the bar scene from Good Will Hunting, the story of a hardened urban youth whose incredible genius is discovered by a lauded professor at M.I.T. where Will Hunting works as a janitor. At a Cambridge bar Will comes to the defense of his fellow (Boston) Southie, Chuckie Sullivan. Impersonating a Harvard student, Chuckie is futilely flirting with a Harvard coed when a pompous Harvard man attempts to expose and humiliate him intellectually. Seeing this, Will jumps in and proceeds to methodically strip away the Harvard bro’s intellectual pretense, after which Will’s friend utters that classic line with that priceless Southie accent –– My boy’s wicked smart! –– Exquisite.
And yet, the film also makes it apparent that being wicked smart does not equate to being wise. Intelligence does not necessarily correspond to wisdom. Longfellow suggested that “a single conversation across the table with a wise man is better than ten years mere study of books.” So often, the missing link between intellect and wisdom is humility. As Shakespeare observed, “A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool.” I find it easier to trust someone who is aware of their limitations than it is to follow someone with complete confidence in themselves. Right or wrong, I have always looked upon arrogance as a red flag in most human endeavors and all human relationships. Wisdom never assumes mastery. Wisdom won’t fake perfection. Wisdom doesn’t dismiss the gifts of others. Wisdom acknowledges that there is always something more to learn.
And while intelligence doesn’t automatically correspond to wisdom, it is complementary to wisdom. Yet, we are living through a time when both intelligence and wisdom are treated as suspect while unwarranted arrogance, bravado, and impulsiveness are becoming the defining characteristics of our era. Accumulated knowledge, demonstrated competence, rational deliberation, and acknowledged complexity are cast aside in favor of conspiracy, false confidence, misinformation, and fear-mongering. Perhaps James offers the prescription for what ails us –– “Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.” –– James 3:13-18
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