Wisdom, I am or not??

Just had a conversation with a couple of friends. Throughout my life, people I know have always had this tendency to come to me for advice on all kinds of matters. They range from job applications, job offers, study options, what stocks to short (serious!) and even matters of the heart (which I'm probably least qualified to give). I've always wondered about this particular phenomenon because I'm probably the most confused person on the planet that I know. Any reader of this blog should realise by now that I'm severely confused about things. So, I sometimes ask myself this: Am I even remotely wise?

"Wisdom is the ability, developed through experience, insight and reflection, to discern truth and exercise good judgment. Wisdom is sometimes conceptualized as an especially well developed form of common sense." --- wikipedia

Well, my ex has always complained to me that I'm too logical, practical and rational. She says that not everything in life can be handled this way. So, I certainly have 'common sense'. Most of the decisions that I make in life are common sense decisions. I also have this uncanny ability to see into the near future. Don't ask me where I got it. It isn't clairvoyance or anything like that, but rather just well tuned senses coupled with an analytical brain. So, I can sometimes 'see' patterns. If I ever had the ability to see into the far future, I would already be an extremely rich man.

However, I'm also a severely confused person. Not just from a technical point of view (my research + other projects are giving headaches). My heart is certainly giving me a lot of problems (though I'm trying my best to handle it). I certainly have no idea what career path I'm going to take (don't ask me what I plan to do). I do not invest in the share market (never had). So, I certainly have no idea what the heck I'm talking about. However, I do try to give an honest opinion and my best advice based on whatever limited experience that I have and I do have my fair share of problems as well.

My ex used to dump a lot on me. For many years she would unload her problems on me and I would help her work through them. This continued until one day, when I told her that my sponge is finite. There are only so many problems that I can absorb before I max out. And the problem has always been that I do not have anyone to unload my problems on. So, I end up unloading my problems on myself as well. This usually ends up with me having conversations with myself (in my head of course!). I once told my former roomie that the way my mind works, there's like two of me inside my head. Weird but true. One of me seems to be wiser than the other one as it usually makes the decisions while the other one works out the details and implements them.

It isn't that I do not want to unload my problems on anyone else. It's just that it's difficult to find someone to unload my problems on. There are some friends that I can share some problems with. However, there are many other problems that I just don't have anyone to share them with. I do not wish to unload them on some unsuspecting friend and burden them with something that they may not handle properly. I do not wish to burden my parents with my problems either. I've not burdened them with much since I was a kid and I do not intend to start now. So, I just try my best. I fumble around in the dark until something gives. This tends to work for most situations.

But I'm digressing. A lot of my friends also listen to my advice because they tend to do better when they do. There isn't any evidence to support this statement except that they tend to regret more when they don't. However, this isn't a particularly good way of measuring effectiveness for providing any form of warranty against bad advice. So, I guess anyone who asks me for advice should do it at his/her own risk. To protect myself from future lawsuits, maybe I should prepare a standard disclaimer for everyone to sign before they pose their question.

Hmm... After so much rambling, I guess that the answer to the question is: I'm a severely confused person who 'appears' to be wise, but doesn't really know what I'm talking about eventhough I can spew out believable crap that nobody should believe. All I can say is bonne chance to people who seek my advice. But by all means, please continue to ask me questions, and I'll continue to try my best to answer them. Just don't expect me to provide any right answers, only honest ones.

* gfdl image from wikipedia *