Tolstoy, after Rousseau, on Knowledge and Wisdom

“Real wisdom is not the knowledge of everything, but the knowledge of which things in life are necessary, which are less necessary, and which are completely unnecessary to know. Among the most necessary knowledge is the knowledge of how to live well, that is, how to produce the least possible evil and the greatest goodness in one’s life. At present, people study useless sciences, but forget to study this, the most important knowledge.”

Carrying the Burden

When a Backpacker puts a pack on his back for an all day hike he can carry it one of two ways: either with his shoulder straps (placing the weight on his shoulders and back); or, with his hips (placing the weight on the lower part of his body).

If he uses the first way, his shoulders bear all the weight and he tires out easily and quickly because his shoulders aren’t built to carry that weight.

But if he uses his hips to bear the weight he can go all day without suffering greatly. The key is how he carries the load.

The same is true for the Christian: when carrying a load, he should be concerned with "how" it is carried and not the "why" or for "how long."

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