Sept. 21, 2023
MM#270--The Art of Worldly Wisdom (Maybe?)
FAN MAIL--We would love YOUR feedback--Send us a Text Message Ever wondered how worldly wisdom from hundreds of years ago still holds relevance today? Let's teleport back to the 17th century, and learn from the Jesuit priest, Balthasar Gracian de Morales, author of 'The Art of Worldly Wisdom.' This particular episode unveils the life of Balthasar, and the later and influential contribution of the Society of Jesus, The Jesuits, a Roman Catholic order renowned for its educational, miss...
FAN MAIL--We would love YOUR feedback--Send us a Text Message
Ever wondered how worldly wisdom from hundreds of years ago still holds relevance today?
Let's teleport back to the 17th century, and learn from the Jesuit priest, Balthasar Gracian de Morales, author of 'The Art of Worldly Wisdom.'
This particular episode unveils the life of Balthasar, and the later and influential contribution of the Society of Jesus, The Jesuits, a Roman Catholic order renowned for its educational, missionary, and charitable establishments and the spearhead for The Catholic Counter-Reformation.
Key Points from the Episode:
- Get ready to soak in the wisdom from 'The Art of Worldly Wisdom,' an age-old guide that addresses character, intelligence, success, and the power of dedication in Yoda-like sayings.
- Fasten your seatbelts as we unravel the intriguing narrative of Balthasar’s rise to popularity against all odds some 300 years after his death among his admirers including eminent philosophers like Arthur Schopenhauer and Friedrich Nietzsche.
- We'll explore his defiance of the superiors and the resulting aftermath.
- But the surprises don't end here! You’ll discover how his book made its way to the top of the Washington Post bestsellers list a century later.
- Join us as we dissect one of the most profound maxims from his book: understanding the delicate equilibrium between outshining your boss and letting your deeds make the noise--something ironically this Jesuit never wrote about.
This discussion promises to be as enlightening as it is engaging. Don't miss it!
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00:07 - Jesuits and Balthasar Gracian's Worldly Wisdom
11:47 - Don't Outshine Your Boss
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Welcome to the Theory to Action podcast, where we examine the timeless treasures of wisdom from the great books in less time, to help you take action immediately and ultimately to create and lead a flourishing life.
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Now here's your host, david Kaiser.
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Hello, I am David and welcome back to another Mojo Minute.
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Balthasar Gracian de Morales was born January 8th 1601 in Belmonte, a suburb of Cadet de Yard in the kingdom of Argonne, spain.
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The son of a doctor from a noble family, balthasar recounts that he was raised in the house of his uncle, the priest Antonio Gracian, at Toledo, indicating that his parents died when he was very young.
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All three of Gracian's brothers took religious orders Felipe, the eldest, joined the order of St Francis.
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The next brother, pedro, became a Trinitarian.
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In the third, raimondo a Carmelite.
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Gracian was among the first to be educated according to the new Jesuit Ratio Studiorum, which was published in 1599, a curriculum which incorporated literature, drama and humanities, along with theology, philosophy and the sciences.
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After studying at the Jesuit school at Zaragoza, zaragoza, from 1616 to 1619, balthasar became a novice in the Society of Jesus.
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He studied philosophy at the College of Cataleid in 1621 and 1623, in theology at Zaragoza.
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He was ordained in 1627, assumed the vows of the Jesuits in 1635, and had dedicated himself to teaching in various Jesuit schools.
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Now, who or what are these Jesuits, these members of the Society of Jesus?
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What is a Roman Catholic order of religious men founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola.
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They are noted for their educational, missionary and charitable works.
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The order has been regarded by many as the principal agent of the Counter Reformation and was later a leading force in modernizing the Church.
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And the order grew out of the activity of Saint Ignatius, who was a Spanish soldier and experienced a religious conversion during a period of convalescence from a wound received while in battle.
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After a period of intense prayer, he composed the Spiritual Exercises, a guidebook to convert the heart and mind closer to following Jesus Christ.
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On August 15, 1534 in Paris, six young men who had met Saint Ignatius at the University of Paris made a retreat according to those Spiritual Exercises.
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Among them, they would ultimately take the vows of poverty, chastity and make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
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And if this last promise did not prove possible and most times it did not they vowed to accept any apostolic work requested by the Pope.
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1539, ignatius drafted the first outline of the Order's Organization, which Pope Paul III approved in September 27, 1540.
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Now the Society grew rapidly and it quickly assumed this prominent role in the Counter Reformation.
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Almost from the beginning, education and scholarship became the Society's principal work.
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Purely Jesuits, however, also produced preachers and catechists who devoted themselves to the care of the young, the sick, prisoners, prostitutes and soldiers.
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They were often called upon to undertake the most controversial task being a confessor to many of the royal enrolling families in Europe.
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The Society entered the Foreign Mission field within months of its founding, as Ignatius sent Saint Francis Xavier, his most gifted companion, and three others to the Far East.
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More Jesuits were involved in missionary work than in any other activity Save education.
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By the time of Ignatius' death in 1556, about a thousand Jesuits were already working throughout Europe, asia, africa and the New World.
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By 1626, the number of Jesuits was 15,544.
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And by the middle of the 18th century the total would far surpass 22,000.
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Now back to our Balthasar day, gracian, obviously, we talked about.
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He was born in the early part of the 17th century.
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He grew up in a very religious family, catholic family, and ultimately he wanted and pursued religious life among the Jesuits, took his final vow by 1635, and had dedicated himself to teaching.
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Now, as he rose in prominence, source relates that Gracian was often invited to dinner by Philip III.
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He had acquired fame as a preacher and although some of his oratorical displays, such as reading a letter sent from hell from the pulpit, was frowned upon by his superiors, usually he was named director of the Jesuit College at Tarragona and he wrote several works for proposing models for courtly conduct.
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Now, during the Spanish war with Catalonia and France, between Catalonia and France, he was a chaplain of the army that liberated a special section, in 1646, of Catalonia.
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Now we say all this because in 1643, gracian wrote a work that gained a tremendous amount of popularity in the 20th century.
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He wrote the art of worldly wisdom.
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Certainly it was not called that back then, but in the early 20th century or at the turn of the 20th century.
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Rather, this work was translated by Joseph Jacobs in 1892.
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And it contrasted wildly with St Ignatius the founder's spiritual exercises, wasa manual of prayer and devotion.
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This offered practical advice for social life.
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So what does this book, the art of worldly wisdom, actually say?
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Well, it's almost entirely comprised of 300 maxims with commentary, and as an example, it says let's go to the book Number 2.
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Character and Intelligence.
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The polls your talent spins on, displaying your gifts.
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One without the other brings only half of success.
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It isn't enough to be intelligent, you must also have the right character.
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The full fails by behaving without regard to his condition, position, origin or friendships.
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Number 21.
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The Art of Success, good fortune has its roles and, to the wise, not everything depends upon chance.
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Fortune is helped along by effort.
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Some people confidently approach the door of fortune and wait for her to go to work.
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Others are more sensible.
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They stride through that door with a prudent sort of boldness, on the wings of their courage and virtue.
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Audacity spies luck and flatters it into effectiveness.
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But the real philosopher has only one plan of action Virtue and Prudence.
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For only the good and bad.
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Fortune lies in prudence or rashness.
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Number 70.
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Know how to say no.
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You can't grant everything to everybody.
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Saying no is as important as granting things, especially among those in command.
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What matters is the way you do it.
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Some people's no is prized more highly than the yes of others.
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A gilded no pleases more than a curt yes.
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Many people always have no on their lips and they sour everything.
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No is what occurs to them first.
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They may give in later, but they aren't well thought of because they started out by being so unpleasant.
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Refusal shouldn't come in one fell blow.
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Let people nibble on their disappointment little by little.
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Never refuse something completely.
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Others would no longer depend on you.
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There should always be some last remnants of hope to sweeten the bitterness of refusal.
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But courtesy occupy the void where favor once stood, and good words compensate for the lack of action.
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No and yes are short words requiring long thought, so you can see there where Balthastar might provide a wonderful counsel to King Philip III as he reigned.
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Now let's go back to the book for a couple more quotes from the art of worldly wisdom.
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1.
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Don't listen to yourself.
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What good is it to please yourself if you don't please others?
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Self-satisfaction reaps only scorn.
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By giving yourself credit, you will run up a debt with others.
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Speaking and listening to yourself is impossible to do well.
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To speak to yourself as madness.
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To listen to yourself in front of others doubly mad.
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Some people batter our ears with refrains like am I right and you know, addering others for appropriation or flattery and casting doubt on their own judgment.
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Vain people too like to speak with an echo.
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They put their conversation on high heels and fools rush to the rescue with odious, well said Number 262.
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Know how To Forget it takes more luck than skill.
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The things that should most be forgotten are the ones most easily remembered.
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Not only does memory behave basely, not coming forward when it is needed, it is also foolish, for it comes to us when it shouldn't.
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It is prolex when it gives us pain and careless when it gives us pleasure.
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Sometimes the best remedy for troubles is to forget them, but we forget the remedy.
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Let us train the memory and teach it better manners, for it can give us heaven or hell.
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Unsatisfied people never care about this.
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In their silly innocence, they are always happy.
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And as a bonus, number 7.
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Don't Outshine your Boss.
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Being defeated is hateful and besting one's boss is either foolish or fatal.
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Superior oriorty is always odious, especially to superiors and sovereigns.
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The common sort of advantages can be cautiously hidden, as beauty is hidden with a touch of artful neglect.
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Most people do not mind being surpassed in good fortune, character or temperament, but no one, especially not a sovereign, likes to be surpassed in intelligence, for this is the king of attributes and any crime against it is less majestic.
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Things want to be so in what is most important.
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Princes like to be helped, but not surpassed.
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When you counsel someone, you should appear to be reminding him of something he had forgotten, not of the light he was unable to see.
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It is the stars who teach us this subtly.
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They are brilliant sons, but they never dare to outshine the sun.
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Now I had to include that bonus, because To Never Outshine your Boss is a good thing.
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We learned that here in Extreme Ownership leadership book and in the Dichotomy of Leadership, another great leadership book, but it seems Balthastar de Gracie and did not ever learn what he actually wrote.
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You see, in 1651 he published the first part of a book titled El Criticon, meaning the Fault Finder, without permission of his superiors, whom he disobeyed repeatedly.
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Huh don't outshine your boss.
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That attracted the society of Jesus, the Jesuits.
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Displeasure of the spears.
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Ignoring their reprimands, he published the second part of the Criticon in 1657, and he was so sanctioned and exiled in early 1658.
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Now he wrote to apply for membership to another religious order and that demand was not met and he was sanctioned.
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But his sanction was reduced.
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Now, in April of 1658, he was sent to several minor positions under the College of Tarazonia.
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By then his physical decline prevented him from attending the Provincial Congregation and on December 6, 1658, gracie and died in Tarazonia, in the Kingdom of Ergon.
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Now of all things, two of the more famous people coming out of Europe, arthur Schopenauer and Frederick Nietzsche, thought the world of Balthastar de Gracie.
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And now, by the time of the 20th century the turn of the 20th century, rather that Jacob's translation of the art of worldly wisdom had actually been read, or allegedly read, by a young Winston Churchill on a ship taking him to the Boer Wars.
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And then, some 100 years later, in 1992, christopher Moore's translation of the book actually shot up to first place on the Washington Post list of nonfiction general bestsellers, and that's how I found it.
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So, in today's mojo minute, no matter if you read writing from the 17th century, the 4th century, the 1st century or the 21st century.
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Wisdom is wisdom, but always let your actions speak louder than your words, and that was something that Balthastar de Gracie and never wrote about.
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