Wisdom Proverb: The Eternal Guide to Social Conduct

Author: (Spanish) Baltasar Gracián
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: Since modern times, many European scholars have believed that the eternal values of worldly wisdom in the history of human thought are contained in three great books: China's The Art of War, Britain's The Power of Character, and Spain's The Art of Practical Wisdom. Gracián's life experience demonstrates unparalleled wisdom and insight. Hundreds of maxims are deeply incisive pieces of advice. The insights in this book would take decades of personal accumulation to gather. However, as Heraclitus said, "No man ever steps in the same river twice," and by the time you spend decades understanding the truth of worldly conduct, you may no longer need to engage in it. Gracián was a perfectionist. The Art of Practical Wisdom begins with the statement: "The ultimate perfection is to become a complete person." And to become a complete person, one must be both upright and cunning; both pursue goodness and understand evil; both honest and deceitful; both gentle and firm. The unsettling aspect of this book lies in its excessive emphasis on strategy and cunning, which seems to overshadow morality. As a result, over the past three hundred years, opinions have been divided: some have fiercely criticized it, hating it with a passion, while many more have revered it as a sacred guide for personal conduct and action.