Yes, I would agree that responsible personal choices would be central to a successful, fulfilled life well-lived.
Personal choices appear to be the most important aspect of whatever search for wisdom.
Re. limits (which you touch on several times): Certainly there are limited processes, contexts and choices. And numerous limits and limitations on processes, contexts, and choices. There are certainly the innumerable limitations of self and ego and those you identified via scientific facts and language, of course.
Freedom, as opposed to limits and limitations, is very significant, necessary, vitalizing, promoting growth, development, and significant changes.
Choices have consequences and effects. There is such a thing as responsible choices as the Existentialists identified relative to self (basic survival: Frankl) and those choices related to larger numbers as in “the greatest good for the greatest number” (Mill, Bentham, Utilitarianism).
In passing, the topic of knowledge opens up a similar, related search for Information, perhaps more basic to that of knowledge. I suspect that information, like education and experience, leads to knowing more and more largely, whatever broader-based ‘higher’ forms of knowledge/wisdom.
Patterns and patternic thinking are, indeed, important/essential in developing knowledge.
And you are likewise right that there are often limits to knowledge, too, such as “sinister” group-think.
Transcendences? Definitely. There can be transcendences:
-of contexts
-in processes
-from limited fields of choices
-via religious faith
-via the arts
-via science, even math and technology
-via language (poetry, literature and the power of vision and epiphany)
-within one’s own knowledge bank (Eureka!)
You are right about “self-conscious awareness”. In fact, for me, Consciousness opens up transcendent possibilities and may very well increase wisdom potential. Consciousness (something developing from awareness and patternic thinking and freedom) is available to many people and it is sad/a shame that more people do not think or exercise the dormant facility of consciousness to enhance/fulfill their lives and those of others.
……………………………………………….
Well, that’s my best shot and response to what is an interesting and thought-provoking article. I suspect that, although you were aiming for an overview of wisdom, you were likewise writing about various aspects of choices and their centrality in our lives (which the Existentialists concluded were basic and central to our modern lives.
And you are right, there are many limits and limitations on various levels, many coming down to what Blake called the “mind-forg’d manacles” of self and individuals. Freedom is the best context of all relative to all the limits and limitations. And, as the Existentialists said, we make conscious choices all the way for the most part and choose the self we want to be and the values we espouse. We choose, essentially, finally, our selves, who we are, and how we want to live. To which I’d add, informed choices sure help if that’s the case relative to information, knowledge, and contexts.