Today a friend told me that she was feeling lost. Since I often feel the same way, I told her that wisdom is forged out of confusion. As I said this, I felt a sense of joy. It wasn’t because I possessed more knowledge. The fact was quite the opposite. I was happy because someone had come to me with a question, and for a moment, it made me seem a bit wiser.

In truth, everyone in this world has wisdom within themselves. It’s just that those who frequently ask questions may seem ignorant, while those who provide answers appear high above. People rarely value their own wisdom as much as a beautiful person admires his or her beauty. Instead, they are like artists who feel frustrated for all their talent, waiting until they receive external recognition. The so-called heart of self-reliance doesn’t develop from being extremely unconventional, but rather the direction in which the tree branches of one’s inner self unfold.