East Coker by T.S.Eliot – a fragment

Reading Eliot’s poems is a nice way to spend winter evenings.
I found a quote, from the second of The Four Quarters, “East Coker”

Do not let me hear
Of the wisdom of old men, but rather of their folly,
Their fear of fear and frenzy, their fear of possession,
Of belonging to another, or to others, or to God.
The only wisdom we can hope to acquire
Is the wisdom of humility: humility is endless.”

Even knowing what Eliot is saying here, does not make me wise.
I think you can’t achieve wisdom consciously.
So, there seems to be a contradiction, because when someone is saying that he is wise,
he’s certainly not modest…

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