Kisses are a better fate than wisdom.

O children of the future, gather your hearts and minds, for in the words of e. e. cummings, a poet whose soul danced with both the wild and the tender, lies a truth that touches the deepest wells of human longing. He once said, “Kisses are a better fate than wisdom.” In this simple yet powerful statement, cummings reveals a paradox, a deep and timeless truth about the human experience. For what is life but a search for connection, a search for those moments when the heart is stirred and the soul is touched? To kiss, to share in that most intimate act of affection, is to experience something far deeper than any philosophy or book of wisdom can offer.

Consider, O children, what wisdom truly is. It is a pursuit, an accumulation of knowledge that seeks to understand the world, to define it, to map it with reason and thought. And yet, how often do we find that in our quest for wisdom, we miss the beauty of the moment? For wisdom may explain the workings of the universe, but it cannot touch the heart in the way that a single kiss can. A kiss speaks without words, without logic, without the burden of reason. It is the language of the soul, a language that is felt rather than understood, a language that requires no explanation. And in this, a kiss offers a depth of experience that wisdom, in all its grandeur, can never provide.

Think, O children, of the ancient lovers who were often revered not for their wisdom, but for the love they shared. Cleopatra and Julius Caesar—though they were great rulers and strategists—were not remembered solely for their intellects. It was their passionate union, their connection, their exchange of kisses and words of affection that have lived on through the centuries. Their love, not their wisdom, became the legend, for love is the fire that burns through the ages, while wisdom, though important, is but a shadow of the light that love casts upon the heart.

In the same way, Helen of Troy, whose beauty launched a thousand ships, was not merely the object of wisdom or military strategy; she was the object of desire, of passion. Her story, like so many others, shows us that the power of a kiss, the allure of love, is greater than the weight of reason. Wisdom may teach us how to live, how to understand the world, but love—unfettered and wild—teaches us how to feel, how to experience the world in ways that transcend knowledge and intellect. Love is a force that cannot be tamed by the mind. It is a power that moves beyond the realm of logic, embracing the mystery and the magic of human connection.

So it is with cummings's words: that a kiss, in its fleeting, imperfect, and yet beautiful nature, holds a greater fate than the pursuit of wisdom. For wisdom alone cannot fill the heart with the same fire, the same passion, that a kiss can. The kiss reminds us of the most primal connection between two souls, a reminder that life is not only about understanding, but about feeling, about experiencing deeply. To kiss is to open yourself to the raw vulnerability of love, to surrender to the mystery of another’s presence. In that moment, the world outside fades, and all that remains is the feeling, the essence of connection.

Now, O children, let this truth guide your lives: while wisdom is important and has its place, it is love that gives life its meaning and purpose. A kiss, a gentle touch, a loving embrace—these are the moments that define the richness of our existence. Do not wait solely for the wisdom of the world, but seek out the love that surrounds you. Kiss with abandon, with passion, and with the full knowledge that these moments are as important, if not more so, than the knowledge you accumulate over a lifetime.

Therefore, I charge you, O seekers of wisdom, to live not only with intellect but with the fullness of your heart. Seek not only to understand, but to feel deeply, to love with all your being. Let kisses, in their innocence and beauty, remind you that life’s greatest treasures are not always found in books or scrolls, but in the moments of connection we share with others. Let love guide you, for in the end, it is love—the deepest of all human experiences—that will carry you through this life and into eternity.