The Three Tenets

It might be the case that someone is behaving in a ridiculous manner, doing what they think is fun, messing around and not taking things so seriously. That person we might colloquially call a "fool", but in fact so long as they were aware of what they were doing and the reason for it then really they might be a lot wiser than some...

Things might be better off in the world if people took less stuff seriously, it is foolishness masquerading as wisdom rather than wisdom masquerading as foolishness.

Akkarin wrote: It might be the case that someone is behaving in a ridiculous manner, doing what they think is fun, messing around and not taking things so seriously. That person we might colloquially call a "fool", but in fact so long as they were aware of what they were doing and the reason for it then really they might be a lot wiser than some...

Things might be better off in the world if people took less stuff seriously, it is foolishness masquerading as wisdom rather than wisdom masquerading as foolishness.

Along those lines, this Willy Wonka quote struck me the moment I heard it:

"A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men."

Gisteron wrote: My point was not to define what is foolish or wise on a practical level. I could try if I needed to, but that wasn't the case I was making.
You said that (you believed that) foolishness is the greatest form of wisdom. I just pointed out that whatever foolishness and wisdom end up being defined as ultimately, they are already contradictory, at least according to one reasonably respected dictionary. I also looked it up at others and in order to make that case there I'd have to quote several entries rather than one, but it would end up the same.

Now, of course it doesn't say that foolishness and wisdom are mutually exclusive. One can be both at different times or with different matters, just like a zebra is both black and white depending which isolated spot you examine, and to an alien race that knows only that the zebra is striped, I wouldn't have to define what I mean by black and white individually. The point is, that a zebra isn't both black and white in the same spot. Its blackness isn't a form of its whiteness, much less the greatest form thereof. In the same way foolishness is not a form of wisdom, though both may be represented in any one individual.

I guess I make riddles, let me quote myself, just for the irony of myself :whistle:

You told me:
Akkarin wrote:,,If foolishness is not a form of wisdom''

I told you:
Aqua wrote:,,Does this mean a fool can not be a wise individual?''
With this sense gives my opinion, a fool can be a wise individual to.

You were talking about the Zebra story, ,,In the same way foolishness is not a form of wisdom, though both may be represented in any one individual.'' An unexpected sense, I love to see that your creative thinking gives me a hard minding about the question.. It is pushing me to seek answers on it, first I would like to say that foolishness is a form of wisdom, so wisdom is a form of foolishness.
I would give you the question:


,,How can you tell me that wisdom is not an form of foolishness?'' If everybody gives an other explanation of wisdom, could it be that there are multiple ways of answering the question, with all the correct answers?

In the Dutch language we have the proverb :,, End well, all well '' witch could be translated as if the end is good, than everything would end good and happy.

I guess this is the end of my answer to your counter question for me, multiple answers, and a very lovely story about the Zebra, I had never thought to talking about Zebras in this post, wonderful! And you have a good ability to explain your meaning, the fact that you uses Zebra`s makes it even more interesting, more enjoyable to philosophise about the subject

To end my post with an open end for the topic, as well in the same theme of this post..

-Tells the story of the three tenets an second truth?-

Wisdom vs foolishness here sounds like a duality. These contemplations can easily go in endless circles because of their mutually arising nature in our perception between them. We can only know wisdom in light of foolishness, while only knowing foolishness in the light of wisdom. Both are a form of the whole in which they are carved from when our perception divides them apart.

Proteus wrote: Wisdom vs foolishness here sounds like a duality. These contemplations can easily go in endless circles because of their mutually arising nature in our perception between them. We can only know wisdom in light of foolishness, while only knowing foolishness in the light of wisdom. Both are a form of the whole in which they are carved from when our perception divides them apart.

How can there be duality if wisdom and foolishness are part of one zebra? Mmm.. I start to like the zebra? :woohoo: I would see it like an opposite that is in harmony with the other opposite, duality sounds so aggressive why else would the force bind us in harmony :blush:

Aqua wrote:

Proteus wrote: Wisdom vs foolishness here sounds like a duality. These contemplations can easily go in endless circles because of their mutually arising nature in our perception between them. We can only know wisdom in light of foolishness, while only knowing foolishness in the light of wisdom. Both are a form of the whole in which they are carved from when our perception divides them apart.

How can there be duality if wisdom and foolishness are part of one zebra? Mmm.. I start to like the zebra? :woohoo: I would see it like an opposite that is in harmony with the other opposite, duality sounds so aggressive why else would the force bind us in harmony :blush:

Wisdom and foolishness are ends of a spectrum.. they are a dual in the sense that one is the opposite of the other, but in reality there is rarely either extreme. Without one, we cannot know the other.

Coincidentia oppositorum, whereby the contrary is a necessary condition for the occurrence of one and/or the other.

Aqua wrote: • Focus
• Knowledge
• Wisdom

When used correctly, the Jedi Tenets allow us to better ourselves and overcome any obstacle. They help us improve the world around us and fulfil our purpose in life as a Jedi.

Wisdom is the sound application of accrued knowledge and experience through patient, good judgment. Knowledge can be acquired by focusing on the task at hand. Focus is the art of pruning the irrelevant and pouring the best of your mind into what you are doing.


''When used correctly'', How to use the three Tenets correctly? If this eventually comes to "pouring the best of your mind;'' Than I have the second question, what is the best of my mind?

You know it's used correctly when it betters you and makes you overcome any obstacle. Used incorrectly when you do not reach those goals.
And the best of your mind is that which leads you to focus as opposed to procrastination.

ren wrote:

Aqua wrote: • Focus
• Knowledge
• Wisdom

When used correctly, the Jedi Tenets allow us to better ourselves and overcome any obstacle. They help us improve the world around us and fulfil our purpose in life as a Jedi.

Wisdom is the sound application of accrued knowledge and experience through patient, good judgment. Knowledge can be acquired by focusing on the task at hand. Focus is the art of pruning the irrelevant and pouring the best of your mind into what you are doing.


''When used correctly'', How to use the three Tenets correctly? If this eventually comes to "pouring the best of your mind;'' Than I have the second question, what is the best of my mind?

You know it's used correctly when it betters you and makes you overcome any obstacle. Used incorrectly when you do not reach those goals.
And the best of your mind is that which leads you to focus as opposed to procrastination.

A small reminder of the beautiful text message of the IP of Edan:

Edan wrote: Without knowledge one has nothing to focus one, so alone focus has no real application other than quieting the mind; focus requires wisdom in order to know what one should focus on and how to achieve focus.
Knowledge is good to have, but without focus one cannot learn to filter out what is important and what is not, and without wisdom one doesn’t have the ability to use or apply knowledge and so knowledge accumulates without purpose.
Lastly, wisdom can only come through an accumulation of relevant knowledge and experience, which is found through focus.
When a person lacks one of the three, the triangle is broken and none can be used to its full advantage.
Without wisdom, knowledge may accumulate but it will never be used adequately. Without focus one may learn many things but never perhaps what is needed, or never enough of what is needed. Lastly, without knowledge one is unable to use wisdom to make good decisions.

Ren:,,And the best of your mind is that which leads you to focus as opposed to procrastination.'' Why is a mind with focus the best, if I need a complete circle according to the three Tenets.. Understanding needs time, and sometimes haste.. opposed procrastination could bring your mind in unbalance.. :blush:

Aqua wrote: Ren:,,And the best of your mind is that which leads you to focus as opposed to procrastination.'' Why is a mind with focus the best, if I need a complete circle according to the three Tenets.. Understanding needs time, and sometimes haste.. opposed procrastination could bring your mind in unbalance.. :blush:

It will all be unbalanced in the beginning as you figure things out for yourself, but without some focus you won't find a way to build up knowledge or wisdom. If you are always procrastinating, you are never moving forwards.