There’s Wisdom in What You Don’t Know

There is an ancient saying about the path from ignorance to wisdom that goes something like this:

He who knows not and knows not that he knows not is a fool; avoid him.

He who knows and knows that he knows is wise; follow him.

Hamilton Mabie, a 19th-century storyteller, wrote a haunting parable in his book, Parables of Life. It tells of a man who spent his life chasing knowledge, convinced that wisdom lay solely in facts and theories. Along the way, love walked beside him, offering companionship and joy, but he pushed it aside, believing it had no place on his narrow path.

His singular focus left no room for gentleness or connection as the years passed. He gained knowledge but lost the wisdom that only love can bring. He thought, what had he to do with love — he whose heart was set on knowledge? Long ago, love left him; long ago, men had ceased to call upon him for help. Now,…