Solitude And Leadership Siddhartha Analysis

While learning allows us to gain knowledge on a subject, learning from our mistakes inspires us to make our own understanding and truths about the world around us and in our personal lives. Experience is the key that opens the door to wisdom. In “Solitude and Leadership,” Deresiewicz questions our system of education that trains students to not be able to think for themselves. Similarly, Hesse uses Siddhartha’s journey to enlightenment to illuminate the idea that certain revelations cannot be taught; they must be personally experienced.
Putting learning first is advantageous and disadvantageous in certain aspects. Learning has positive consequences when you are required to verify and demonstrate what you know through tests and exams or when …show more content…
Because the Brahmins are governed by ritual and customs, they suffer from a way of life that forces them to constantly overlook the spiritual oneness they seek. Furthermore, although the knowledge Siddhartha acquired through the Buddhist’s lectures led to greater understanding, words alone cannot replace experience, and their meaning depends on interpretation and usage. Siddhartha’s eventual awakening to Nirvana did not come from someone divulging wisdom to him, but through an inner link to the river, that he discovers comprises the whole universe. Instead of attempting to explain to Siddhartha the meaning and purpose of life, Vasudeva (as the ideal teacher), directs Siddhartha to heed to the river and examine his mind, body, and soul to perceive what the river is trying to illustrate to him. However, the river never truly explains to Siddhartha what its revelations signify, permitting him to meditate on its teachings in order to gain …show more content…
We acquire knowledge through research, study, investigation, and observation. However, wisdom is derived from experiences and learning from them in a way that influences decisions in the future; it is the application of knowledge to the larger scheme of life. To have wisdom means to have a vision in life and to have the ability to see beyond the horizon. Knowledge can be transmitted from teacher to pupil, and although it is useful, it is ultimately unsatisfactory as described in Siddhartha. A person cannot learn wisdom just like Siddhartha discovered that enlightenment cannot be learned it must be experienced. Similarly, leadership cannot be taught, it comes from within. Knowledge refers to the skills, understanding and information that you gain through education. On the other hand, wisdom refers to the ability to make rational decisions and give worthy advice based off of the knowledge and experience that you have gained. A person may possess all the information about a topic but may not possess the wisdom to properly utilize this knowledge to be able to behave in a practical manner. For this reason, a person can acquire knowledge by cultivating and refining himself but can only gain wisdom through