The Principle of Wisdom is a personal commitment to not only work towards becoming smarter - but also wiser. Wisdom is the ability to arrive at the truth in spite of influences that would lead to the wrong conclusion. To be wise is to develop methods of extracting the truth against adversity.
We recognize that much of what we are taught is not true and that we become comfortable with our erroneous knowledge. We also recognize that there are complex emotions and expectations of society that pressure one's mind into fooling one's self. We recognize that there are people in the world who are not very honest who would use deception, illusion and the abuse of logic in order to get people to believe things that aren't true. But in spite of this - we are committed to extracting the truth and learning methods that allow reality to be known even in adverse circumstances.
To be wise is to have a highly disciplined mind and strong commitment to the pursuit of reality the way it really is. It represents not only personal skills, but also a strength of character to be able to face reality. It is to be a responsible person who can see past the confusion of the moment and to grasp the big picture. Wisdom requires strength of will, courage, discipline, humility, and commitment. Wisdom is something that is learned and everyone can become wiser than they are now.
As members of the Church of Reality we honor wisdom and we choose to commit ourselves to becoming wiser personally and to supporting the principle that we, as a society, are better off by elevating the status of Wisdom. As individuals we should be asking ourselves and asking other people, "Are we being Wise? Is there Wisdom here?"
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