Context: Wisdom and Antigone

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Younger people have tended to look towards the elderly for wisdom and guidance since the beginning of recorded history and beyond. Students to teachers, children to parents, ordinary people to royalty and politicians – generally those who have lived longer are not only believed, but expected to have garnered more knowledge in their longer lives. Abraham Lincoln once said, “I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday. Also, in 2008 the Australian newspaper published an article detailing a study undertaken by the University of Aarhus in Denmark, which disproved the theory that the mind is at its peak in the late teens to mid-twenties. But all this is not to say that older people should not sometimes listen to and heed advice from younger people. Wisdom reflects the values and criteria that we apply to our knowledge. Its essence is discernment. Discernment of right from wrong, helpful from harmful, truth from delusion. Being wise is not just being knowledgeable – it is applying that knowledge. Not just making statements – but also asking questions. It is giving but also listening to good advice, and it is learning from one’s mistakes. Also, wisdom and years are not always directly proportional. In Sophocles' “Antigone”, wisdom proves to represent a significant theme throughout the play. Creon, the king of Thebes, initially explains the importance of a ruler's duty of setting the city on its wisest course. However, as the play progresses, Creon fails to live up to his promises, by being irrational and selfish. Sophocles play emphasises how a lack of maturity and wisdom can have adverse effects on society. Creon declares that an incompetent king "refuses to adopt the soundest policies" and also" p... ... middle of paper ... ... The last part of wisdom is realizing mistakes – and seeking reconciliation. If a person is able to learn from their mistakes, and take measures to not repeat them again, then they have been wise. As children, we usually find it hard to reconcile, over things that we would later consider unimportant and fleeting – it is only with age that we acquire the ability to interpret, forgive and forget. Unfortunately for Creon in Antigone, he is not given the ability for reconciliation, as his son Haemon along with Antigone have both committed suicide, in spite of him and his refusal to understand what is right. While it is accepted that wisdom usually only comes with age, older people should also listen to younger ones, otherwise it would be impossible for the world to function. Without new ideas, a fresh outlook, and differing opinions, there would be no civilisation.

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