The accumulation of knowledge does not always correlate with the cultivation of wisdom. To live a life well lived usually means knowing that there is as much truth in books as there are in the simple things of this life—the fabric of our emotions, the minutiae of daily life, and the beauty that pervades every moment.
Excessive Study
Posted on Monday, February 20, 2023
Last updated on Saturday, August 15, 2026 at 4:27 PM
The Bible has been translated into over one thousand languages, and in English alone, there are around fifty different versions. While we can have extreme confidence in the translators to faithfully replicate the content, spirit, and energy of a given text, we all understand that doing so is never completely possible. We can all acknowledge this inexorable fundamental shortcoming of translation—just how much nuance is lost and how much risk for misunderstanding there is when we switch from one language to another.
Here’s a prime example of this problem with one of the most well-known verses in the Bible. According to the New International Version (NIV), the most popular translation of the Bible, Matthew 5:5 reads:
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”
In other versions of the Bible, the word “meek” is replaced by “humble,” or “gentle”; these words seem to insinuate weakness, submissiveness, self deprecation, a willingness to comply and to yield, and timidity and passivity. The original Greek word however, embodies an entirely different spirit than any of these words. πραεῖς (transliterated as praus) is more accurately conveyed through the idea of a tamed wild animal that has quelled its instinctive rage, or of trained soldiers that are determined to keep their swords sheathed. This word speaks of beings that have learned to properly moderate their innate temperament to conceive a proper balance of power and reservation. This notion of praus connotes a vastly more nuanced story than “meek,” “humble,” or “gentle'' do; being dangerous, having the capacity to destroy and to create chaos, but choosing not to, is incredibly different than merely standing around passively in the face of destruction and distancing ourselves from the chaos.
And the daunting notion is that this is likely only one of thousands of questionable translations. On top of this, there is the persistent age-old controversy of Biblical canon—the study of the origins of each of the stories, the aspects of its authorship, and what can be reliably, (however they choose to define reliably) considered as part of what we call the Bible. When the hodgepodge of different sects of Christianity arbitrarily add and subtract content from the Bible to fit into its particular perspective of truth, and when there is a virtually infinite amount of linguistic interpretations of it, it can seem that the ostensibly uniform, concrete truths of the Bible are, in reality, incredibly malleable, subjective, and contextual.
Inevitably, this led us to the conclusion that we need to attempt to solidify that aforementioned malleability of meaning, to objectify the subjectivity, and to deconstruct the contexts by which the Bible evokes truth. This is where theology comes in. Theologians and apologists dedicate their lives to debate and reconcile the apparent truths of the Bible with the other seemingly apparent truths we derive from science or logical reasoning—questions surrounding evolutionary theory, how and when the universe was born, why suffering and evil exists if there’s a benevolent God, the purpose of heaven or hell, or the Bible’s stance on homosexuality or transgenderism.
The very existence of theology can seem to allude to the notion that the Bible is not the only required mode of study for the Christian. After all, we need to reconcile the two aforementioned problems of translation and compilation. So not only must one read the Bible itself, but, to understand its truth, one must also study theological texts. If we begin with the premise that the purpose of theology is to decompose the truth laid out in the Bible, then we can conclude that the truth of the Bible is in need of decomposition. This then implies that any Christian—as a matter of fact, any truth-seeker—should be compelled to study theology, a trusted field of study to demystify all the axioms and principles of the Bible that would otherwise be undermined by all its mistranslation, questionable compilation, and subjective interpretive bias. And if one might argue that theology is optional—that it is a side project or diversion of sorts—and is ultimately not required to be a Christian, they have undermined the credibility of this entire field of study, since it’s based entirely on a text that seeks to be applicable to every human being.
So if there are innumerable and unreliable translations of the Bible, if there are hundreds if not thousands of versions of Biblical canon, and if there is an infinite number of theological interpretations by which we can make sense of it, how can we even begin to speak with any degree of confidence that the interpretation we’ve chosen is the right one? How can we even begin to claim there is this one absolute truth?
Far too many of us extract these axioms and entertain the principles of the Bible as if they are apparent, undeniable, concrete truths. If you ask a devout Christian whether or not God exists, you will get a resounding yes. If you ask them if the version of the Bible they are reading is faithful to God’s design of the original text, you will get a resounding yes. If you ask them if they are sure they are living a Christian life to the best of their ability, you will get a resounding yes. To many devoted believers, anything less than a resounding yes, anything that resembles doubt and uncertainty—to say “I’m not sure,” “maybe,” “it could be”—puts into question our dedication and faith in God.
The fact of the matter is, however, that none of us know anything.
King Solomon, the author of the book of Ecclesiastes, exhorts us to remember this:
Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after many days. Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth. If the clouds are full, they pour out rain on the earth; and whether a tree falls toward the south or toward the north, wherever the tree falls, there it lies. One who watches the wind will not sow and one who looks at the clouds will not harvest. Just as you do not know the path of the wind, and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes everything.
— Ecclesiastes 11:1-5
In the same way that we don't know God is real with any degree of certainty nor do we possess any modicum of reliable evidence, we don't know the degree to which a particular version of the Bible is correctly translated or compiled, or if a theological argument is sound. But far too many Christians think they have to know.
We don’t have to know. We have to have faith.
Faith—that the words of the Bible we’re reading have been translated in such a way that is as close to the essence of truth as possible.
Faith—that whoever compiled the version of the Bible you’re reading is faithful to God’s word.
Faith—that your worldview and perspective of the world is one in line with God’s will.
Faith—that while the essence of truth is elusive and the reality of our existence is fraught with uncertainty, we can still live a life we’re proud to live, to write a story for ourselves that we’re proud to write.
If we decide that particular theological interpretation or a particular version of the Bible we’ve been given isn’t helping us serve ourselves and the people around us, there’s an easy solution—just use a different one; we don't have to rely on one version nor does it matter the origins of its compilation or its methods of translation. If the story we tell ourselves ceases to make us happy, we should tell ourselves a different story. Whichever version that resonates with us the most—whichever one that compels us to believe that it reflects our version of truth most closely—is the best one for us. In the end, what matters in practice is that we have faith.
Solomon ends the final chapter of Ecclesiastes by saying,
In addition to being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, searched out, and arranged many proverbs. The Preacher sought to find delightful words and to write words of truth correctly.
The words of the wise are like goads, and masters of these collections are like driven nails; they are given by one Shepherd. But beyond this, my son, be warned: the writing of many books is endless, and excessive study is wearying to the body.
The conclusion, when everything has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil."
The reason why Solomon warns us that “excessive study is wearying to the body” is because he recognizes the danger and futility of this perpetual epistemological debate. We toil away at this confounding, elusive, needlessly abstracted and endlessly complex concept of what it means to know, when we neither can know nor need to know in the first place. In the grand scheme of things, none of all this matters. What actually draws us to these beliefs in the first place is love, is belief in values like patience, perseverance, honesty, empathy, a commitment to humanity and one another to live out our best lives. Everything in between—all the epistemological minutiae, all the semantics and logical gymnastics, all the nuances lost in translation—is a side thought, not the heart of what we're doing. If we get some parts of it wrong, then so be it. If there’s anything that God has called us to do, and if there’s anything the Bible is about, it isn’t about being pedantic and devoting your life to the hapless pursuit of an absolute truth. Because none of us truly know anything.
Posted on Monday, February 20, 2023
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Posted on Monday, February 20, 2023
A Life Well Lived
Posted on Wednesday, March 29, 2023
Last updated on Saturday, August 15, 2026 at 4:27 PM
How do we live a happy and fulfilling life? Isn’t it odd that people in this day and age continue to ponder answers to this hackneyed question when, as we do with virtually everything else in our lives, we can merely Google it and get more than adequate answers at a moment’s notice? Our understanding of human psychology has advanced so significantly in the last several centuries that the supposed secret of a life well lived is far from a mystery to us at this point; plenty of individuals had already fleshed out profound answers to these sorts of questions even millennia ago, albeit not backed by any form of scientifically proven claims (not that they are necessary to adequately answer this question).
We already understand the specific contributors towards happiness and fulfillment—healthy relationships, whether in romance, friendship, or family, adequate food, water, and shelter, freedom from oppression, challenging, engaging, and fulfilling work, mental and physical wellness, and a working balance between hardship and leisure. Obviously, not everyone’s definitions of these aspects of happiness or fulfillment will look the same, and while there is indeed a myriad of different philosophies that approach it differently, they will always generally follow similar themes.
We also equally understand the inimical actions that are likely to detract from a positive, meaningful experience of life—our mindless participation in these constant games of manipulation and deception, of judgment and ridicule, of all that constitutes our emotional negligence and ignorance, ultimately deteriorating our social relationships; our unquestioning commitment to mundane, brainless, and soul-sucking work that we can neither be proud of nor derive satisfaction from; our inordinate use of alcohol, recreational drugs, social media, television, video games, and other forms of entertainment that ruthlessly rot our brain; our edification of hedonism, materialism, and the status hierarchy that consigns so many of us to an inane rat race, depriving us of any real sense of purpose; the inevitable cascading series of negative consequences of these factors that ultimately degrade our culture, our awareness of and compassion for each other’s suffering, and exacerbate existing problems within human welfare.
And yet we act as if we don’t know. We act as if we don’t understand the reasons as to why we’re so unhappy and unfulfilled, why we all seem to be mired in a rut of purposelessness, why we feel as if the world we live in is cruel and unjust. We act as if the secret to a life well lived remains an unsolved mystery, when in actuality all the hard questions have already been asked—for thousands upon thousands of years, at that—and we correspondingly have a plethora of answers. We have several millennia worth of knowledge at our disposal—an innumerable quantity of seminal works from thinkers far more erudite in the human condition and with far more wisdom than virtually any of us could ever hope to have. Confucius, Buddha, the authors of the Bible, Laozi, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Hume, Dostoevsky, Nietzsche, Marx, Freud, Jung, Russell, Heidegger, Wittgenstein, Camus, Chomsky, Foucault—you name it; these are just the most venerated ones among thousands. Despite the scope of their contributions towards humanity, most of us can’t help but perceive them merely as distant relics of the past. For the vast majority of people in this modern age, their work remains fatefully consigned to the dustbins of history, a realm of study which itself has become desolate and esoteric.
The fountain of truth is brimming with knowledge, overflowing with wisdom, and far more accessible to the common person today than at any point in our entire history. And yet, most of us choose not to drink from it. The most important conclusion we can make by studying the work of the past is realizing that we haven’t changed all that much, if at all, and that our present pondrance of the question of what constitutes a life well lived inexorably aligns with that of our ancestors. We cannot come to the haughty and naive conclusion that all these great thinkers of the past are irrelevant in today’s circumstances and imperiously claim we know better than every single one of them, lest we repeat the mistakes of the past and compel ourselves to relearn all the lessons that our predecessors sacrificed everything for, fighting tooth and nail just to learn what it means to be happy and what it means to be fulfilled. When all has been asked and all has been answered, all there is left to do is humble ourselves, be conscious of our impertinence and arrogance, and commit ourselves to learning not only the specificities of our struggle within contemporary life, but, more importantly, the overarching themes and motifs that inextricably link the past and the present iterations of the human condition.
Once we’ve opened up our eyes and once we understand what it truly means to live a life well lived, it’s impossible not to come to the daunting realization that even though the exponential advances in science and philosophy have given us ever-more fleshed out answers for centuries at this point, our anachronistic industrial societies obstinately remain perpetually hypnotized by the gaudy splendor and garish glory of consumerism and its promises of wealth, power, and fame. It becomes increasingly difficult to ignore just how abysmally designed our societies are at aiding us in this quest for happiness and fulfillment. This is a society in which we turn a blind eye to the frankly insulting disparity of wealth and privilege across social classes; in which we tolerate a backwards, cruel educational system that does little to promote genuine, inspired learning but instead treats our children as commodities in need of quality control and processing, wherein the defective—everyone who isn’t able to isn’t willing to conform to the preset standard—are casted out and ostracized; in which we settle for corrupt and spineless politicians and captains of industry whose vested interests are to profit off our impulsive desires, to milk us for every ounce of productivity they can get away with, to reinforce the cultural status quo and thus the legitimacy of their profligate actions; in which we become inured to injustice, intolerance, violence, and the deterioration of our physical and mental health caused by none other than our collective irresponsibility and complacency.
When this is all that we’ve known for our entire lives, it’s no surprise that it's so difficult for us to disillusion ourselves and break free from the chains of conventional thought that seek to mollify us by flattering us with these promises of prosperity if we just follow the rules and don’t ask questions. But we will not be mollified; we can choose a better future for ourselves and the generations to come by simply learning to ask the right question. With this fountain of knowledge abounding and easily accessible to each and every one of us, we no longer need to burden ourselves with these confounding metaphysical and psychological questions when our predecessors have already asked and answered that question ad nauseam. Rather, the difference we can make today lies in our willingness and bravery to bring to trial all that comprises our contemporary life—all these intricate systems in place, all these deep-seated norms and conventional definitions of happiness and fulfillment, all these oppressive stories and narratives that we tell ourselves constantly—and instead of blithely asking ourselves what constitutes a life well lived, we ask ourselves how all this helps us live life well, if at all.
Posted on Wednesday, March 29, 2023
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Posted on Wednesday, March 29, 2023
You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.
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Whatever this is that I am, it is flesh and a little spirit and an intelligence. Throw away your books; stop letting yourself be distracted. That is not allowed. Instead, as if you were dying right now, despise your flesh. A mess of blood, pieces of bone, a woven tangle of nerves, veins, arteries. Consider what the spirit is: air, and never the same air, but vomited out and gulped in again every instant. Finally, the intelligence. Think of it this way: You are an old man. Stop allowing your mind to be a slave, to be jerked about by selfish impulses, to kick against fate and the present, and to mistrust the future.
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Food does no good and is not assimilated into the body if it leaves the stomach as soon as it is eaten; nothing hinders a cure so much as frequent change of medicine; no wound will heal when one salve is tried after another; a plant which is often moved can never grow strong. There is nothing so efficacious that it can be helpful while it is being shifted about. And in reading of many books is distraction. Accordingly, since you cannot read all the books which you may possess, it is enough to possess only as many books as you can read.
For in much wisdom is much grief,
And he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.
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I was once foolish enough to believe knowledge would clarify, but some things are so gauzed behind layers of syntax and semantics, behind days and hours, names forgotten, salvaged and shed, that simply knowing the wound exists does nothing to reveal it.
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Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.
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