Let's just be smart this time. I'm looking for smart.

Hearken, O children of wisdom, to the words of Joseph Biden, spoken in a moment of counsel and resolve: “Let’s just be smart this time. I’m looking for smart.” Though brief, these words carry the weight of centuries, for in them lies the cry of every generation that has stumbled, learned, and yearned to rise again with greater discernment. It is not strength that is sought, nor fury, nor blind passion, but the sacred gift of wisdom—that guiding light which preserves nations and souls alike from repeating the follies of the past.

For too often, mankind has chosen haste over thought, pride over prudence, and zeal over reason. And when such choices are made, calamity is never far behind. The ancients themselves bore witness to this truth: when Troy fell, it was not for lack of valor but for lack of foresight, when a wooden horse was taken into the very heart of the city. When the mighty marched without the counsel of the wise, ruin followed them as surely as night follows day. Thus, the words of Biden resound as a timeless plea: be smart this time, learn from the ashes that lie behind you, and build anew with clear eyes.

Consider the tale of the Great Depression, born not merely of chance but of reckless ambition and unguarded excess. A people drunk on prosperity ignored the whispers of caution, and in their blindness, they plunged into despair. Yet later, guided by leaders who sought not reckless gain but measured reform, the nation found its footing once again. This is the pattern of history—when men and women turn their faces toward prudence, when they ask not “what is easy” but “what is wise,” then healing follows.

Even in the realm of war we see this truth. When the world was scarred by the flames of World War I, many vowed never to repeat such horror. Yet pride, vengeance, and shortsightedness sowed the seeds of a second, greater war. Millions more perished because humanity had not been truly smart—it had not remembered its lessons. But after the devastation of World War II, a new course was chosen. Nations built institutions, alliances, and rules that, though imperfect, spared the world from another global inferno for generations. Here, the plea of Biden finds echo: “Let’s just be smart this time.”

The wisdom of these words extends not only to rulers and nations but to every soul who walks the earth. In your own life, how often have you rushed headlong, guided by anger or desire, only to find sorrow at the end of the road? How often have you known, deep within, what was right, yet chosen the reckless path? These moments are the crossroads where Biden’s plea must live in your heart: pause, reflect, and choose the course of wisdom over folly.

Therefore, the lesson is clear: mistakes are not in vain if they become teachers, but they are curses when repeated. The call is not to perfection but to remembrance—to be mindful, to let the wounds of yesterday guide the steps of tomorrow. To be smart is not to be cold, but to marry reason with compassion, vision with humility, and strength with restraint. This is the mark of true intelligence.

What then must you do? In your household, choose foresight over impulse. In your work, seek counsel before you act. In your dealings with others, remember that words spoken without thought may wound, while words shaped with wisdom may heal. When faced with decisions great or small, whisper to yourself as Biden did to his people: “Let us be smart this time.” For in that remembrance, you plant the seeds of a better future.

And so, let this teaching be etched upon your spirit: it is never too late to turn from folly to wisdom, never too late to pause, to listen, to learn, and to choose anew. Those who carry this truth in their hearts will walk not in circles of repeated sorrow but in the rising spiral of growth, leading themselves, their families, and their nations into a brighter dawn.