I was reading a book on the couch. My friend, who was over, noted, “Shh. He’s studying.” I was indignant, “No, this isn’t for class. This is The Art of Worldly Wisdom.” My friend then proceeded to point out that I had inserted post-it notes all throughout the book; it looked as if I was studying it. I had to concede that. Indeed, I was studying the book, but not for class. I was studying in order to gain wisdom.

She was confused that I would read a book for fun and study it, but I think this reading is a thousand times more useful than almost every reading I’ve done for any class. When I study for class, I study to forget. It goes to short-term memory. I study; I take the test; I forget. Unfortunately, school does not teach you how to be virtuous. You can only learn that from other people and from books.

I’ve just finished the book, and almost all of it is useful. The Art of Worldly Wisdom is a collection of aphorisms by Baltasar Gracian. I’ll soon be posting a list of the passages that stuck out most for me at this time. I’m sure when I re-read the book in the years to come, different passages will stand out as important. I’m not posting that yet because I don’t quite have the time (finals season at my university).

I do want to write down one piece of hard-won knowledge. It is a synthesis of what I read from that book, and what I’ve learned from Machiavelli and other political philosophers. It’s a rough draft, but it means something to me, for now.

Govern thyself with virtue. Just as society must be ordered by laws, you must order yourself. Without laws, a people is ruled by its passions. They are torn apart by war and weakened by corruption. Likewise, without the iron chains of virtue, one is a slave to one’s passions. Freedom is only possible when laws create order for society; so too for a person, to be free you must first be governed by virtues.