Wisdom may best arise from a humbling reality.

Listen, O children of the future, for I bring to you the wisdom of Michael Leunig, who spoke these words: "Wisdom may best arise from a humbling reality." These words remind us that true wisdom is often born from the most challenging and humbling experiences of life. It is not in the moments of triumph, nor in the grandeur of success, that we learn the deepest truths, but in the quiet, humbling moments of struggle, failure, and hardship. Wisdom comes when we are forced to confront our limitations and the reality of the world as it truly is, not as we wish it to be.

Consider the great philosophers of old, who were often shaped by their humbling realities. Socrates, despite his wisdom, lived in a time of great political and social turmoil in Athens. His humility in the face of ignorance and his willingness to question even his own understanding of the world were key to his pursuit of truth. He was put to death for his beliefs, yet his humbling fate became the fertile ground from which the greatest philosophies of the Western world would grow. Socrates’ wisdom arose not from his success but from his willingness to confront the humility of his own ignorance and embrace the uncomfortable truths that came with it.

In the same way, the life of Nelson Mandela offers a powerful example of wisdom born from humbling reality. Imprisoned for 27 years, Mandela faced an unimaginable hardship. Yet, it was through his time in prison, in the most humbling of circumstances, that he gained the wisdom to lead his nation through reconciliation rather than retribution. The humbling reality of his own suffering and the suffering of his people gave him the clarity of vision needed to seek peace, even in the face of deep injustice. His wisdom was not born of pride or victory, but of the humility he cultivated through years of endurance.

Similarly, consider Abraham Lincoln, who, in the darkest days of the Civil War, faced the weight of national division and personal sorrow. It was through the humbling reality of the war and the loss of his son that Lincoln’s leadership was tempered. His struggles with failure and the burden of war forged in him a wisdom that would ultimately preserve the Union and free the slaves. Lincoln’s ability to lead with compassion, despite the overwhelming pressure of the moment, came from a humbling acceptance of the deep imperfections in both his nation and himself.

So, O children, understand this: wisdom is not a gift granted in moments of ease and glory, but a treasure forged in the fires of hardship and humility. When the world strips away the falsehoods and illusions we cling to, and we are faced with the raw truth of our limitations, we open ourselves to the greatest wisdom. It is in those humbling moments, when we acknowledge our own vulnerability, that we become capable of seeing the world with clear eyes and acting with true insight. Seek not only the high and the proud, but the humbling realities of life, for it is there that the deepest and most lasting wisdom is born.