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| The wisest minds of our time: Guardian readers share their picks | The wisest minds of our time: Guardian readers share their picks |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Earlier this week, the Guardian ran an editorial lamenting the deaths of Benjamin Britten, Aldous Huxley, John F Kennedy, and CS Lewis, and the wisdom they had imparted through their words and work. While their brilliance still endures, we were curious to know who Guardian readers thought were some of the some of the wisest figures alive today. | Earlier this week, the Guardian ran an editorial lamenting the deaths of Benjamin Britten, Aldous Huxley, John F Kennedy, and CS Lewis, and the wisdom they had imparted through their words and work. While their brilliance still endures, we were curious to know who Guardian readers thought were some of the some of the wisest figures alive today. |
| We received over 100 responses in less than 24 hours, and have featured a diverse selection below. Readers' nominees ran the gamut from spiritual leaders like the Dalai Lama to contemporary newsmakers like liberal US senator Elizabeth Warren or Nate Silver, the statistician who accurately predicted the 2012 US presidential election. It’s clear that in the 21st century, our definition of wisdom has expanded to include not only religious and literary figures, but individuals who can think outside the box or bend massive amounts of data to their will. (And don't worry, Neil deGrasse Tyson is on the list). | We received over 100 responses in less than 24 hours, and have featured a diverse selection below. Readers' nominees ran the gamut from spiritual leaders like the Dalai Lama to contemporary newsmakers like liberal US senator Elizabeth Warren or Nate Silver, the statistician who accurately predicted the 2012 US presidential election. It’s clear that in the 21st century, our definition of wisdom has expanded to include not only religious and literary figures, but individuals who can think outside the box or bend massive amounts of data to their will. (And don't worry, Neil deGrasse Tyson is on the list). |
| Disagree with the nominees featured below? Think someone is missing from this list? Tell us in the comments. | Disagree with the nominees featured below? Think someone is missing from this list? Tell us in the comments. |
| Noam Chomsky: linguist and philosopher (15 nominations) | Noam Chomsky: linguist and philosopher (15 nominations) |
| “A learned man, who uses his gifts with language and philosophy to share his vision of what a better world, and better lives, can look like. His wisdom comes from understanding the past, seeing its relation to the present, and sharing his insights clearly and precisely” – Kathy, 56, Vermont, US | “A learned man, who uses his gifts with language and philosophy to share his vision of what a better world, and better lives, can look like. His wisdom comes from understanding the past, seeing its relation to the present, and sharing his insights clearly and precisely” – Kathy, 56, Vermont, US |
| What our readers learned from him: | What our readers learned from him: |
| “The insight into American politics and how wrong the dynamics behind it often are” – Ulrike, 37, USA | “The insight into American politics and how wrong the dynamics behind it often are” – Ulrike, 37, USA |
| [Chomsky taught] not to take official truth for granted, to be suspicious of any information disseminated through corporate media outlets, to realize how contested and easily problematized taken for granted assumptions (like the good guys and the bad guys) are, and to appreciate the chance to radically resist, question, and challenge hierarchies of domination and control – Jeffry, 35, Virginia, US | [Chomsky taught] not to take official truth for granted, to be suspicious of any information disseminated through corporate media outlets, to realize how contested and easily problematized taken for granted assumptions (like the good guys and the bad guys) are, and to appreciate the chance to radically resist, question, and challenge hierarchies of domination and control – Jeffry, 35, Virginia, US |
| The Dalai Lama: spiritual leader, head of state, activist (9 nominations) | The Dalai Lama: spiritual leader, head of state, activist (9 nominations) |
| “He combines compassion, great learning, and really seeing how the world actually is” - Jonathan, 40, UK | “He combines compassion, great learning, and really seeing how the world actually is” - Jonathan, 40, UK |
| What our readers learned from him: | What our readers learned from him: |
| From the Dalai Lama I have learned that equanimity is a treasure and that anger directed at others hurts the self more than the others. His life is an object lesson in compassion and forgiveness – Janet, 64, California, US | From the Dalai Lama I have learned that equanimity is a treasure and that anger directed at others hurts the self more than the others. His life is an object lesson in compassion and forgiveness – Janet, 64, California, US |
| “Real compassion has no bias, no inequalities, it is like the sun, it shines on all”– Robi, 67, US | “Real compassion has no bias, no inequalities, it is like the sun, it shines on all”– Robi, 67, US |
| Nelson Mandela: political leader, former president of South Africa (8 nominations) | Nelson Mandela: political leader, former president of South Africa (8 nominations) |
| “He saw that one person can be greater than all of humanity, [and] at the same time, humanity can be greater than one person. Being true to yourself is divinity” – Rhonda, 54, Netherlands | “He saw that one person can be greater than all of humanity, [and] at the same time, humanity can be greater than one person. Being true to yourself is divinity” – Rhonda, 54, Netherlands |
| What our readers learned from him: | What our readers learned from him: |
| Replacing oppression with intolerance only serves to recreate the problems we wish to combat. I have learned from him that reconciliation, not perpetual anger, can cure our souls – Kenneth, 27, Texas, US | Replacing oppression with intolerance only serves to recreate the problems we wish to combat. I have learned from him that reconciliation, not perpetual anger, can cure our souls – Kenneth, 27, Texas, US |
| JK Rowling: author (5 nominations) | JK Rowling: author (5 nominations) |
| “She has ideas about kindness and friendship and goodness that are generally irreproachable, and she acts on them. Her Harry Potter books are constructed upon these values. Her work with Lumos is inspirational.” – Pema, 19, Australia | “She has ideas about kindness and friendship and goodness that are generally irreproachable, and she acts on them. Her Harry Potter books are constructed upon these values. Her work with Lumos is inspirational.” – Pema, 19, Australia |
| The books that she writes touch many generations of people, old and young. The Harry Potter series supported me as I grew up and introduced philosophies and wisdom that I would otherwise have been without. She is wise because of the way she handles her fame in real life. She leads a good example of what to do with money and I think this is heightened by the fact she went through financial hardships herself when she was younger – Charlotte, 17, UK | The books that she writes touch many generations of people, old and young. The Harry Potter series supported me as I grew up and introduced philosophies and wisdom that I would otherwise have been without. She is wise because of the way she handles her fame in real life. She leads a good example of what to do with money and I think this is heightened by the fact she went through financial hardships herself when she was younger – Charlotte, 17, UK |
| What our readers learned from her: | What our readers learned from her: |
| “[She opened] minds to the concept of choosing between what is easy and what is good and right” – Sylvian, 34, US | “[She opened] minds to the concept of choosing between what is easy and what is good and right” – Sylvian, 34, US |
| Richard Dawkins: evolutionary biologist and author (5 nominations) | Richard Dawkins: evolutionary biologist and author (5 nominations) |
| “I think that Dawkins' theories about the selfish gene and memes have enormous implications for areas of knowledge beyond biology and they have a deep impact on my thinking” – Jon, 63, New York, US | “I think that Dawkins' theories about the selfish gene and memes have enormous implications for areas of knowledge beyond biology and they have a deep impact on my thinking” – Jon, 63, New York, US |
| “[He put] the spotlight on all the harm done in the name of religion. He uses impeccable logic to compare and contrast real religious actions against basic human values” – Mark, 40, UK | “[He put] the spotlight on all the harm done in the name of religion. He uses impeccable logic to compare and contrast real religious actions against basic human values” – Mark, 40, UK |
| What our leaders learned from him: | What our leaders learned from him: |
| Use reason. Demand rational answers to your questions – Jesse, 62, US | Use reason. Demand rational answers to your questions – Jesse, 62, US |
| Elizabeth Warren: US senator from Massachusetts (4 nominations) | Elizabeth Warren: US senator from Massachusetts (4 nominations) |
| “Blessed with integrity and common sense” – Edith, 84, Wisconsin, US | “Blessed with integrity and common sense” – Edith, 84, Wisconsin, US |
| What our readers learned from her: | What our readers learned from her: |
| I have learned that one must step up in the face of adversity, and stand up for those who cannot stand for themselves. I have learned to look for the silver lining that sustains a person's vision going forward. I have learned to never give up – Joseph, Tennessee, US | I have learned that one must step up in the face of adversity, and stand up for those who cannot stand for themselves. I have learned to look for the silver lining that sustains a person's vision going forward. I have learned to never give up – Joseph, Tennessee, US |
| Russell Brand: comedian and actor (3 nominations) | Russell Brand: comedian and actor (3 nominations) |
| I think he has vision. I myself am as surprised by my own choice as anyone can be. I believe he can see through the veil of invisibility of wrongdoing and inequality that pervades our culture. I think there is wisdom and purity in his passionate call for change. After reading his article on Margaret Thatcher I began to watch, listen to him and read his writings. I am impressed with the fresh voice he brings to the weariness of life” – Deirdre, 47, Ireland | I think he has vision. I myself am as surprised by my own choice as anyone can be. I believe he can see through the veil of invisibility of wrongdoing and inequality that pervades our culture. I think there is wisdom and purity in his passionate call for change. After reading his article on Margaret Thatcher I began to watch, listen to him and read his writings. I am impressed with the fresh voice he brings to the weariness of life” – Deirdre, 47, Ireland |
| What our readers learned from him: | What our readers learned from him: |
| “Beneath all that affectation and whimsy lurks a very astute mind. He understands that simplest yet most profound of paradigms: that those who have benefited from a corrupt system are not the ones who are ever going to change it, himself included” – Jason, 46, UK | “Beneath all that affectation and whimsy lurks a very astute mind. He understands that simplest yet most profound of paradigms: that those who have benefited from a corrupt system are not the ones who are ever going to change it, himself included” – Jason, 46, UK |
| Readers also shared an array of nominees from different countries and disciplines: | Readers also shared an array of nominees from different countries and disciplines: |
| Nate Silver, statistician: “With his election successes, Silver has vividly demonstrated to wider society that applying statistical and scientific methods to problems works better than just guessing. If more people thought like this, and appreciated how chance actually works, society would sure run better.” - Dan, 30, Colorado, US | Nate Silver, statistician: “With his election successes, Silver has vividly demonstrated to wider society that applying statistical and scientific methods to problems works better than just guessing. If more people thought like this, and appreciated how chance actually works, society would sure run better.” - Dan, 30, Colorado, US |
| bell hooks, author, feminist and activist - Katerina, 47, UK | bell hooks, author, feminist and activist - Katerina, 47, UK |
| Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, humanitarian and spiritual leader. “Normally I don't go in for Hindu gurus, but she's got it going on.” - Cheere, 43, Australia | |
| Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund - Caroline, 48, Madrid | Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund - Caroline, 48, Madrid |
| John N Gray, political philosopher - Patrick, 34, Australia | John N Gray, political philosopher - Patrick, 34, Australia |
| Ray Kurzweil, director of engineering at Google; author and futurist - Austin, 23, Indiana, US | Ray Kurzweil, director of engineering at Google; author and futurist - Austin, 23, Indiana, US |
| David Foster Wallace, author. “He got the relationship between the human micro and macro in a way that is rare to see, and handled his observations with great sensitivity.” - Michael, 20, US | David Foster Wallace, author. “He got the relationship between the human micro and macro in a way that is rare to see, and handled his observations with great sensitivity.” - Michael, 20, US |
| Nassim Taleb, essayist, scholar, and statistician - Ken, 63, Florida, US | Nassim Taleb, essayist, scholar, and statistician - Ken, 63, Florida, US |
| Caroline Jones, Australian TV anchor - Richard, 63, Australia | Caroline Jones, Australian TV anchor - Richard, 63, Australia |
| Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States - John, 56, US | Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States - John, 56, US |
| Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist and director of the Hayden Planetarium - Kevin, 27, Illinois, US | Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist and director of the Hayden Planetarium - Kevin, 27, Illinois, US |
| Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmese politician and activist - Patrick, 34, Australia | Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmese politician and activist - Patrick, 34, Australia |
| Millenials - “They are the prophets of our time. The civil rights leaders. They look over their shoulders at victims of bigotry who answered with love and at victims who tried militancy, as if those were the only responses to racism. The millennials are telling us that a third route is open: ridicule. Correcting racism through ridicule. We must encourage them.” - Joe, 83, US | Millenials - “They are the prophets of our time. The civil rights leaders. They look over their shoulders at victims of bigotry who answered with love and at victims who tried militancy, as if those were the only responses to racism. The millennials are telling us that a third route is open: ridicule. Correcting racism through ridicule. We must encourage them.” - Joe, 83, US |
| And… | And… |
| Christopher Knight, famous Maine hermit – Rico, 63, California, US | Christopher Knight, famous Maine hermit – Rico, 63, California, US |
| Wisdom isn't a quality necessarily measured by intellectual prowess or spiritual achievement. Rather, it is an acceptance of the reality perceived by the individual, and his/her response to that reality... | Wisdom isn't a quality necessarily measured by intellectual prowess or spiritual achievement. Rather, it is an acceptance of the reality perceived by the individual, and his/her response to that reality... |
| In my rather romanticized notion of Mr. Knight, I imagine him taking one look at this world through his 19-year-old eyes and saying: ‘screw it,’ and proceeding to live the next 27 years in nearly total solitude. | In my rather romanticized notion of Mr. Knight, I imagine him taking one look at this world through his 19-year-old eyes and saying: ‘screw it,’ and proceeding to live the next 27 years in nearly total solitude. |
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