5 Important Lessons From Very Wise People

The important lessons of wise people are often told in stories or anecdotes. Sometimes they are repeated as truths about different aspects of life. However, the lessons themselves are always the result of difficult experiences, significant reflection and a unique perspective on the world.

The lessons of wise people also serve an important purpose: to remind us of the values ​​by which we should guide our behavior. It’s easy to forget that life only makes sense if we have certain principles that guide our actions and a beautiful purpose that guides us through life.

Today we have therefore chosen to share with you five important lessons from five wise people. They are sentences or facts that reveal many truths. Enjoy it and, above all, learn from it!

1. Capote, one of the wise people who shares an important lesson with us

Truman Capote needs no introduction. He is considered one of the greatest American writers. His book In Cold Blood  is considered one of the first books in a new genre that blurred the lines between fiction and non-fiction.

However, few people know that his talents were derived from his impressive self-discipline.

One of his closest friends, Paul Bowles, said that one day in 1949, Capote told him and other colleagues that he had made a 20-year plan for his literary works. Everyone was surprised and thought that Capote was fooling himself into thinking that he could actually complete this plan.

Over time, however, Capote worked out his plan step by step. This was attributed to two of the greatest virtues of his genius: perseverance and self-discipline.

2. Tod Browning: the genius behind silent movies

Tod Browning is also one of the wise men who taught us an important lesson. Before he became famous, Browning was very poor. He earned a living by doing various odd jobs and jobs. One of these jobs that helped him survive was playing one of the “living dead” in a circus.

This job was quite easy, but also very gruesome. He had to lie very still. The circus arranged for a doctor to come and declare him dead.

Then Browning was literally put in a coffin and buried. He had to stay there for 24 hours. He was able to survive this thanks to a hidden ventilation system and small pieces of food that were buried with him.

Browning first experienced a near-death experience due to extreme panic. However, he eventually learned to make use of these long hours of solitude by letting his imagination run wild. He used that time to make a comprehensive plan for his future.

3. Helen Keller and her life lesson

These important lessons from wise people also include stories of extraordinary women, such as Helen Keller. Let’s take a closer look at her story. When she was one and a half years old, she contracted a disease that left her deaf and blind. This also prevented her from speaking.

Thanks to a teacher who believed in her, Keller nevertheless managed to develop a system for communicating with the outside world. This made her the first deafblind person to earn a college degree. This was no small feat, especially when you consider that it is a degree from Harvard University.

She subsequently wrote several books and over 400 articles. When asked about her astonishing achievements and dramatic progress, Keller said, “When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the door that has opened before us.”

4. Oscar Wilde and Social Norms

Oscar Wilde was one of the most outspoken critics of social norms. He was convinced that the people around him were hypocritical. According to Wilde, they behaved the way they thought they should, instead of acting the way they felt.

He was also convinced that they were completely absorbed in their own world, so they didn’t really pay attention to what was going on around them.

To prove his theory, he decided to test it out at a dinner party to which he was invited. He was deliberately late.

When the hostess welcomed him, he said, “I’m sorry. I’m late because I had to bury my aunt, who I just killed.”  The woman replied as if she hadn’t heard him and said, “Don’t worry. The important thing is that you are there.”

5. Churchill and his sense of humor

Winston Churchill is known as one of the greatest men in history. Not only did he play a major role in the fate of the United Kingdom during the Second World War, he was also a great writer and even won the Nobel Prize in Literature.

One personality trait that attracted the most attention, however, was his elegant and consistent sense of humor. A sense of humor is rare in someone so famous.

There are hundreds of anecdotes about Churchill’s sense of humor. One such anecdote is about the moment when General Montgomery received a heartfelt tribute after defeating Erwin Rommel in Africa.

In the speech expressing his gratitude, Montgomery said with great pride, “I don’t smoke, I don’t drink, I don’t deceive, and I am a hero,” to which Churchill replied, “I smoke, I drink, I deceive, and I am his boss.”

All these important lessons from these wise people show that people have all kinds of admirable facets. We are able to overcome adversity, but also to laugh at obstacles. The wisest of us are those who are able to bring the positive out of the most difficult moments.