Sumber ilustrasi: Pixabay
27 April 2026 15.55 WIB – Umum
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Desanomia [27.04.2026] Greed and hatred are often regarded as ordinary inner impulses, yet both possess a destructive force that surpasses crude acts like robbery. A robber takes what is visible, while greed and hatred erode from within—distorting perception, judgment, and action.
Greed is never satisfied. Every achievement only gives rise to new desires, turning life into an endless cycle. In such a condition, a person no longer possesses things, but is instead possessed by the urge to possess.
Hatred operates in a similar way, though in the opposite direction. If greed pulls everything inward, hatred pushes everything away. The world becomes filled with rejection, suspicion, and hostility, gradually isolating the self from any sense of shared meaning.
These two impulses share a fundamental trait: both obscure judgment. What appears is no longer seen clearly. Values are no longer measured by truth or goodness, but by narrow emotional drives.
Here is where wisdom becomes essential. Wisdom is not merely knowledge, but the capacity to see clearly without being dominated by fleeting impulses. It creates a space between impulse and action.
The image of wisdom as water offers a subtle insight. Water flows, adapts to the shape of its container, and does not impose its direction. Yet water that remains still for too long loses its clarity. Wisdom is similar—it must be exercised to remain alive.
When wisdom is not used, the ability to judge becomes dull. Thought ceases to move, and reflection fades. In such a state, greed and hatred easily take control, because nothing remains to balance them.
By contrast, flowing wisdom allows one to recognize inner impulses before they turn into actions. Greed can be seen as a misguided sense of lack, and hatred as a reaction not yet fully understood.
Through wisdom, greed is not opposed with harsh rejection, but with an understanding of limits. Desire may remain, yet it no longer dominates. There emerges the capacity to say “enough,” a simple yet rare ability.
Hatred, likewise, is not confronted with further hatred. Wisdom opens the possibility of understanding its roots—wounds, fear, or misunderstanding. From this arises a distance that enables a calmer response.
In this way, wisdom does not function as a tool to suppress impulses, but as a means of clarification. Greed and hatred are not forcibly eliminated, but are seen in the light, and thereby lose their power.
What do you think? (njd)
Note: This article was made as part of a dedicated effort to bring everyday life around us to our minds.
