September 20, 2025
Wisdom is funny. We treat it like it’s something you’re either born with or you magically acquire at some set age, like your first gray hair. But Epicurus flips that idea upside down. He says wisdom isn’t a “you have it or you don’t” kind of thing it’s an ongoing search, one that doesn’t expire when you hit adulthood or retirement.
When I read this Thought of the Day, I couldn’t help but think about my own kids. They’re full of endless questions. Some of them are the deep kind that stop you in your tracks: “Why do people have to die?” Others are the kind that make you want to pull your hair out: “Why is ketchup red?” (and you know there’s going to be a follow-up question when you answer). But that curiosity is pure gold. It’s wisdom in action, the unashamed hunt for understanding.
As adults, though, we lose that spark. Somewhere between paying bills and folding laundry, we decide it’s safer to stop asking questions. We pretend we know enough, or worse, we stop caring if we don’t. Epicurus is waving a flag at us here, don’t let that happen. Don’t grow weary in the search.
Think about the last time you learned something brand new. Not a random fact you picked up in passing, but something that shifted how you see the world. Maybe it was listening to a friend with a completely different background. Maybe it was realizing your spouse’s way of folding towels actually does make them fit better in the closet (I will bring my wife to my side on this eventually). Those moments are wisdom in real time, and they only happen when you stay open.
I’ll admit it, there are days when the last thing I want is more questions. Life is exhausting enough. But Epicurus is right: wisdom isn’t a finish line we cross and then relax. It’s a daily discipline. Sometimes wisdom means cracking open a book. Sometimes it’s admitting, “I don’t know.” And sometimes it’s letting a six-year-old’s question about the moon remind you that gravity is still a miracle worth marveling at.
The truth is, wisdom doesn’t belong only to the old or the young. It belongs to the willing. To those who keep searching, no matter how much they already know, or think they know.
So, what’s one small way you can keep the search alive today? Maybe it’s asking someone about their story. Maybe it’s listening instead of talking. Or maybe it’s just allowing yourself to wonder at something ordinary—like how the leaves know when to turn in the fall.
Keep searching. That’s the whole point.
🧠 Read the full blog post where I explore this Thought of the Day and the Question of the Day
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