In the noisy corridors of life, we find many people stuffed to the brim with knowledge, but only a rare few are graced with the gift of wisdom. Knowledge fills books and slides easily from tongue to tongue; it’s measured, weighed, and neatly counted. Wisdom, however, is more elusive—a quiet understanding that slips between lines, a kind of depth that resists easy cataloging.

I think of knowledge as a library, immense and orderly, each book a polished nugget of information ready to be plucked off the shelf. Wisdom, on the other hand, is more like a candle in a dark room, soft but revealing just enough to help you find your way. Knowledge is the facts and theories we memorize and repeat; wisdom is knowing which facts to trust, which theories to question, and which voices to heed. In a world obsessed with the measurable, with resumes packed with degrees, certifications, and honors, wisdom waits quietly, often dismissed as too abstract, too vague. But it’s that very unmeasurable quality that makes wisdom essential. Without it, all the knowledge in the world might lead us not to answers but to confusion, sometimes even disaster.

Consider those “experts” who have credentials for miles yet seem to lack a basic understanding of people or the real world. They quote studies and use big words, but when faced with a real-life situation, they fumble, unable to turn that knowledge into practical solutions. I’ve met people who are fluent in theories and models but trip on the simple act of kindness or practicality, like trying to apply algebra to a baby’s cries. Knowledge can be a well-stocked toolbox, but if you don’t know which tool to use—or how to use it—it’s just metal and wood.

The irony is that, in our society, we often mistake knowledge for wisdom. We assume that the more a person knows, the wiser they must be, like believing a chef’s cookbook makes one a good cook. Yet, life has a way of showing us otherwise, doesn’t it? The person who spouts facts at every turn often stumbles when confronted with an ethical dilemma or when asked to understand another’s suffering. It’s almost comical, in a tragic sort of way, how people who claim to know so much can sometimes be blind to the simplest truths.

What’s even more troubling is that among those who do possess wisdom, few seem inclined to use it for the good of others. I’ve seen people with sharp insights use their gift like a weapon, wielding wisdom as a tool to manipulate, deceive, and pull strings from behind the scenes. It’s as if wisdom, instead of lighting the way, becomes a cloak for selfish ambition. The wise know better, but not all of them choose better. And maybe that’s why wisdom is so rare; it requires not only knowledge but a certain courage, and a willingness to act in ways that benefit others, even when there’s no immediate reward.

The paradox deepens: we often admire the knowledgeable more than the wise, perhaps because the fruits of wisdom are subtle, while knowledge wears badges and certificates. Wisdom doesn’t boast or declare itself, and that makes it harder to recognize in a world dazzled by shiny objects. Yet when I look around, it’s those few wise souls—the ones who walk quietly, who listen before speaking, who understand before acting—that make the real difference. They may not write headlines or win awards, but they leave ripples, changing lives in ways that are hard to measure but impossible to forget.

In my mind, wisdom is a slow-growing tree, while knowledge is the flashy flower that blooms and fades quickly. Flowers are lovely, of course, but they don’t endure. We need more trees. We need people who understand that knowledge without wisdom is a half-built bridge, useful to no one. It’s those who combine knowledge with compassion, with a sense of justice, who make a lasting impact.

Perhaps what we need is to start valuing wisdom as much as we value knowledge, to cultivate it not just in schools but in our homes, and our communities. Imagine a world where wisdom is prized, where we teach our children not only to memorize facts but to question them, to see beyond them, to use them for good. That, I believe, would be a world worth striving for, one where knowledge becomes the foundation, and wisdom the light guiding our way forward.

Arrogantly claiming during his appearance before the senate that he knows better than all else as he is a lawyer, prosecutor, mayor and president, the boastful resource person lorded over the hearing with narrative. It was the only man standing who ironically is a woman, that had the courage to tell the former mayor, prosecutor and president that what he claims as in accordance with law are all wrong.

Even the vulgar language that the said resource person had taken the luxury to spit as he narrated his tale was called by the lady senator as unacceptable in the upper house where they are hosts and the resource person as mere guest. The ploy to control the senate was too obvious as his two factotums in the senate kept supporting their master.

The rest of the senators were too cautious in the guise of affording respect to the former office of the resource person. With limited time to present their stories, the surviving family members of the victims of extrajudicial killings were hard-pressed explaining the details of their own sufferings. On the contrary, the former president was given all the time he wants to just to express all his tales and justifications. The inequity was too glaring for all to see, both from the gallery of the senate hall and those watching online.

In the course of his mouthful bragging, many revelations were uttered which when traced to previous statements of the former mayor, prosecutor and president as well as other resource persons that appeared before both houses of congress, are diametrically opposed and outright contradictory. He for instance had been insistent that there is no such thing as the Davao Death Squad (DDS) that former senator Liela De Lima investigated while she was justice secretary. But as the hearing continued, he spilled the truth that he indeed has a death squad and the police directors in attendance in that hearing were commanders of such death squads.

Amid vehement denials of the police directors that there were no such death squads, they could not now afford to brand their master as lying and they are the ones telling the truth. Over the years since the implementation of the bloody drug war that was patterned from the reported Davao template, official records on the number of victims that were extrajudicially killed but human rights groups set the number at about twenty thousand. Of the number killed, only eight policemen were convicted, prompting the International Criminal Court (ICC) to conduct its own investigation on the premise that the government had not done it duty to prosecute the killers.

The findings of the senate investigation as well as that of the quad committee of the lower house offer new reasons to pursue the prosecution of the culprits. The staggering number of killed victims is grossly disproportionate with the convictions. Calls from various sectors for the senate to submit the testimony of the former president to the ICC is gaining impetus that could hardly be ignored. All denials by those officials who are being implicated in the bloody drug was had taken a new twist with the author of the drug war bragging.
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THAT’S what we should maintain in life. We need to develop a keen sense of the purpose of our life and keep it in play in every circumstance and situation of our life. Difficult? For sure. But we can always train ourselves for it.

We are reminded of this fact of life as we approach the end of the liturgical year which somehow signifies the end of life and the end of things in general. Thus, the gospel reading of the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time tells us of some signs of the end times and of the second coming of Christ who will judge us. (cfr. Mk 13,24-32)

Keeping a purposive life helps us to be realistic and to have a global picture of things, extricating us from our tendency to be easily trapped in some narrow and shallow understanding of our earthly life.

Especially these days when we are enjoying a flowering of technological developments that can easily put us into some silo or filter bubble, we need to have a higher sense of purpose.
Thing is we need to have a higher sense of purpose to truly make use of these technological marvels. I’m afraid that without this clear sense of purpose, more elevated than the usual practical level, we would end up wallowing more deeply in our own world, increasingly insensitive to the ultimate dimension of our life, which is spiritual, moral and supernatural.

In fact, this wallowing phenomenon is what we are seeing these days in the electronic world. What begins as humanly valid practical uses sooner or later deteriorates into inhuman, sinful modes if not animated properly by spiritual and moral values.

There are now a lot of inanities circulated around electronically. Subtle and even open forms of human moral anomalies like vanity, envy, sensuality, greed, egoism, etc., are having a field day in this arena.

These dangers can start with people, especially the young ones, to waste a lot of time and to express and cultivate their youthful weaknesses with nuclear dynamics.

I remember reading an article about the Google CEO warning that young people should be allowed to change their names after some time because they would already have compromised their future with the irresponsible things they have posted on the net. Their cyber past would just be too hot to handle. And with the AI, things can get really bad.

Some great effort is definitely needed here, since first of all, we have to break that deep-seated prejudice against religion when we engage in our earthly, mundane affairs. If we ever talk about religion, we seem to confine it only inside churches and places like those, but not in our secular concerns.

Our sense of naturalness seems to be twisted at the root, since it seems to be incompatible with anything spiritual and supernatural. We need to correct this irregularity, without going to the extreme of behaving in some strange, unnatural way.

A higher and abiding sense of purpose can help us do this. It will enable us to have a sense of unity and continuity among the different elements and the different events in our life, be they good or bad, favorable or unfavorable to us, etc.

When we have love of God as our abiding sense of purpose in our life, we would find it easy to go from one thing to another, no matter disparate they are from each other. We would find meaning in everything, including what we consider to be human disasters in our life.

In the world of entrepreneurship, goals and mindset are the driving forces that propel individuals towards success. Goal-setting provides direction and purpose, while an entrepreneurial mindset fuels innovation and resilience. In this article, we will delve into the significance of goal-setting and cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset and explore how they can pave the way to achievement in the entrepreneurial realm.

Setting goals is crucial for entrepreneurs as it provides a roadmap for success. Without a clear target, entrepreneurs may find themselves lost in a sea of possibilities, lacking focus and direction. Goals act as a guiding light, helping entrepreneurs prioritize their efforts, make informed decisions, and move forward with purpose. They provide a measurable outcome to strive for, allowing entrepreneurs to track their progress and stay motivated along the way.

Effective goal-setting involves several key principles:

1. Be specific: Set clear and well-defined goals that are specific and measurable. Vague or ambiguous goals make it challenging to gauge progress and can lead to frustration. For instance, rather than a general aim like to “boost revenue,” a more precise target would be is to “raise revenue by 20% in the upcoming six months.”

2. Set challenging yet achievable goals: Stretching your limits and aiming high is important for growth. However, setting unrealistic goals can lead to discouragement and burnout. Find the balance between ambition and feasibility to ensure your goals are challenging yet attainable.

3. Break it down: Divide big goals into smaller, manageable steps. This allows for a clear action plan and provides a sense of accomplishment as you reach each milestone. Breaking down goals also helps in managing overwhelm and staying focused.

4. Make goals time-bound: Assign specific deadlines to your goals. This adds a sense of urgency and helps prioritize tasks accordingly. Deadlines create a sense of accountability, pushing entrepreneurs to take action and stay committed to their goals.

Aside from goal-setting, cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset is equally crucial for success in the entrepreneurial journey. An entrepreneurial mindset is a set of attitudes and beliefs that fuel entrepreneurial behavior and thinking, enabling individuals to navigate challenges, seize opportunities, and innovate. Here are some key characteristics of an entrepreneurial mindset:

1. Risk-taking and resilience: Entrepreneurs understand that risks come hand in hand with opportunities. They embrace calculated risks and are resilient in the face of failure. Rather than being discouraged by setbacks, they learn from them and use them as stepping stones towards success.

2. Innovation and creativity: Entrepreneurs constantly seek opportunities to innovate and disrupt the status quo. They think outside the box, challenge conventional wisdom, and reimagine possibilities. An entrepreneurial mindset encourages thinking differently and finding unique solutions to problems.

3. Growth mindset: Entrepreneurs have a growth mindset, which is the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort and learning. They see failure as an opportunity to learn and grow, and they embrace continuous improvement and personal development.

4. Persistence and determination: Entrepreneurship can be a rollercoaster ride, filled with ups and downs. Entrepreneurs possess unwavering determination and a tenacious spirit. They do not give up easily and are willing to put in the hard work and effort required to succeed.

To cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset, it is essential to engage in activities that foster these characteristics. Surround yourself with like-minded individuals, seek mentorship and guidance, and constantly seek new challenges and opportunities for growth.

In conclusion, goal-setting and an entrepreneurial mindset are the pillars of success in the entrepreneurial realm. Setting clear goals provides direction, focus, and motivation, while cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset ensures adaptability, innovation, and resilience. By combining these two elements, aspiring entrepreneurs can unlock their full potential and pave the way towards a thriving and fulfilling entrepreneurial journey. So, dream big, set goals, embrace the entrepreneurial mindset, and embark on the path to success.
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If you have any questions or would like to share your thoughts on the column, feel free to send an email to jca.bblueprint@gmail.com. Looking forward to connecting with you!