so lofty it doesn't sound like something one could ever consciously strive to be,

unlike say being healthy or kind.

Nevertheless, though it's impossible ever to reach a stable state of wisdom,

as an aspiration, wisdom deserves to be rehabilitated,

and take its place among a host of other more typical goals one might harbor.

Wisdom seems woven from many strands.

The wise are, first and foremost, realistic about how challenging many things can be.

They aren't devoid of hope, that would be a folly of its own, but they're conscious of the complexities entailed in any project;

for example: raising a child, starting a business, spending an agreeable weekend with the family, falling in love.

Knowing that something difficult is being attempted doesn't rob the wise of ambitions,

but it makes them more steadfast, calmer,

and less prone to panic about the problems that will invariably come their way.

Probably aware that much can and does go wrong, the wise are unusually alive to moments of calm and beauty,

even extremely modest ones:

they can take pleasure in a single uneventful sunny day, or some pretty flowers growing by a brick wall.

It isn't that they're sentimental and naive, precisely the opposite.

Because they've seen how hard things can be to get,

they know how to draw the full value from the peaceful and the sweet whenever and wherever these arise.

The wise know that all human beings, themselves included, are deeply sunk in folly.

We all have irrational desires and want incompatible things.

The wise are unsurprised by the ongoing coexistence of deep immaturity and sexual perversity

Alongside quite adult qualities like intelligence and morality.

They know that we are barely evolved apes.

Aware that at least half of the life is irrational

they try, wherever possible

to budget for madness and slow to panic when it reliably raised it's head

The wise take the business of laughing at themselves seriouly.

The wise are realistic about social realtions.

In particular, about how difficult it is to change people's minds and have an effect on their lives.

Even if this means not being totally honest.

The wise are realistic about other people too.

The wise know that most hurt is not intentional.

It's a byproduct of the constant collision of blind competing egos in a world of scarce resources.

They don't lead to the worst conclusions about what's going on in the minds of others.

The wise appreciate the pression people are under

The wise have a solid sense of what they can survive.

They know just how much can go wrong and things will still be just about livable.