Vroege RecensentenJason A. Merchey

Can wisdom be understood, developed, and improved?

Does wisdom really underlie success, fulfillment, and happiness?

What are the characteristics and skills of wise individuals?

Can one be happier and more fulfilled by "loving wisdom"?

Philos sophia is Greek for “the love of wisdom,” and is the precursor of modern philosophy and much of applied psychology. Jason Merchey spent years researching, considering, writing, and rewriting a book he thinks can make an impact on individuals, and on society as a whole, Wisdom: A Very Valuable Virtue That Cannot Be Bought (2022). As a long-time lover of wisdom, Jason Merchey brings a refreshing array of insightful and interesting quotations (and personal reflections) to this deep and wide investigation into the nature of wisdom. Over 1,500 quotations are utilized and many books are cited.

The book approaches the age-old subject of wisdom from the following perspectives: research psychology, ancient and modern philosophy, personal growth, Humanism/secularism, social and political applications that would be termed "moderate" and "progressive"

Can wisdom be understood, developed, and improved?

Does wisdom really underlie success, fulfillment, and happiness?

What are the characteristics and skills of wise individuals?

Can one be happier and more fulfilled by "loving wisdom"?

Philos sophia is Greek for “the love of wisdom,” and is the precursor of modern philosophy and much of applied psychology. Jason Merchey spent years researching, considering, writing, and rewriting a book he thinks can make an impact on individuals, and on society as a whole, Wisdom: A Very Valuable Virtue That Cannot Be Bought (2022). As a long-time lover of wisdom, he brings a refreshing array of insightful and interesting quotations (and personal reflections) to this deep and wide investigation into the nature of wisdom.

Wisdom is a fascinating research-based yet personal take on that place where philosophy, psychology, well-being, personal growth, spirituality, politics, and American culture come together. It communicates: "This is what wisdom is; here is how it is useful for me; within is inspiration for how it can be useful for the reader—and the United States as an ailing society." In 15 chapters, many aspects, hallmarks, and components of wisdom and wise ways of being are delved into. Well over fifteen-hundred quotations from an array of wisdom aspirants throughout history are brought to the fore. Examples of topics include: "Wisdom As Vision," "Open-Mindedness and Mental Flexibility are Inherent to Wisdom," and "Developing Greater Wisdom." Certainly values such as free will, kindness, strength, critical thinking, and tolerance are discussed. The optimal end result is a unique, probing, broad, and broad-minded look at what is clearly a somewhat complex, somewhat under-appreciated virtue. There is also some incisive commentary on the state of politics, attitudes, values, ethics, and wisdom in modern America, as well. Wisdom is for any open-minded reader who has an interest in self-improvement on an individual level, and in progressivism at a societal level. It tends to come across to a reader as secular, integrative, humanistic, humane, and philosophical/psychological in nature.