The elusive art of wisdom

THE EDITOR: Haven’t all of us, at some point, read a really brilliant analysis on the best way forward, by either a professional journalist, well known academic, retired public servant or just a private citizen in the letters column of the daily newspapers, and wondered why the suggestions were not adopted by those in authority with the power to act?

The answer is obviously in the positive, but the more important question is: why do the ultimate political decision makers almost never take on board the wise counsel of those who are not orbiting in their primary universe?

Now the best way to answer this most important conundrum is to define the difference between knowledge and wisdom, but we do not have space here to do that.

So let us content ourselves with the acknowledgement that our two main political parties almost exclusively reward loyalty over ability in every important appointment or decision.

In other words, once you are not in their political good books you could spout a fountain of wisdom, like the current dean of letter writers Noble Phillip does on a daily basis, but he and others like him will never be appointed to the Senate or their insightful suggestions on policy ever adopted, until they decide to show loyalty to the political elite.

How very sad for our country.

GREGORY WIGHT

Maraval