Along with success comes a reputation for wisdom - Euripides
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What does this quote mean to you? What does it invoke as a feeling, if anything? To me, it means that when a person is successful, those around and who know of the success of another person will, in their minds, deduce the successful person is wise. In my opinion, because it’s probable that many minds immediately relate being successful with having wisdom, and in conversations they would likely put out the word that whichever successful person that’s being talked about would be assumed to have possession of great wisdom. Unless of course, the successful person is not liked because most folks see him/her as undeserving for one reason or another, of their success.
The wisdom that Euripides speaks of in the quote, is a perceived wisdom. It isn't implying that a successful person is wise – it’s others who relate success with wisdom that create the illusion, which manifests itself as a “reputation” for being wise. In my opinion, a successful person can also be a wise person, and many of them are. But there are also any numbers of them that lie, cheat and steal – and for many of that type, their crooked ways are what helped to make them “successful.” No one would call them wise, except another, less successful crook.
Wisdom isn’t something we learn – it’s something we earn through experience.
If we look at professions like teaching, for example, it’s likely that close to 100% of the population would agree that a talented teacher that gets great results with their students term after term, is not only wise, but very wise. Most people would automatically bestow great wisdom upon religious leaders, whether those religious leaders deserve it or not.
When it comes down to it, I think the quote identifies wisdom as something we attribute to others. Do people walk around thinking, “I am wise”? I don’t think so, unless it’s a narcissist who would also think they are the greatest in everything, and wisdom would just be a cheap add-on. A reputation is made by others’ observations and commentary about another individual, and while one may intentionally work toward fostering a certain type of reputation for himself or herself, there’s no guarantee they would succeed. And where would the wisdom be in that?
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