@philosophyminis: The rugby player Brian O'Driscoll once said that 'knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit, but wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.' It's funny and surprisingly philosophical because, as Aquinas once knew, wisdom comes in identifying and knowing how to deal with exceptions. Aquinas argued that when we make rules and laws, we inevitably have to do so in blanket, universal terms: 'Don't steal. Be kind. Be honest,' that kind of thing. But because humans are individuals, and situations change all of the time, these rules will always fail if we stick to them rigidly. And so we need to develop what Aristotle and Aquinas called epieikeia: the ability to know when to break a rule, and when to make an exception. Aquinas gives an example. Suppose your friend asked you to look after their sword for them, and the general rule is, 'Always give things back to people when they ask for it.' But suppose your friend knocks on your door, drunk and in a rage, saying they want to kill their boss. Well, in this case, you are wrong to give the sword back to them. You need to use your epieikeia to know when to break the law, because the truly wise people are those who know when to make an exception. A teacher needs to adapt to the class or the students in front of them. A general needs to adapt to the army or the situation they have. Wisdom is not something you get only from books or from videos. Wisdom is what you get when you walk alongside other human beings, and appreciate the messiness of what it is to live. Wisdom comes in appreciating that sometimes there is a difference between the right thing to do, and the letter of the law.

Jonny Thomson

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Region: GB

Saturday 22 August 2026 17:30:00 GMT