Let Us Preserve Through Wisdom What We Have Acquired Through Enthusiasm

Let us preserve through wisdom what we have acquired through enthusiasm. Nicolas de Condorcet

Nicolas de Condorcet, born on September 17, 1743 in Ribemont and died on March 29, 1794 in Bourg-la-Reine, is a French mathematician, philosopher, politician and publisher, representative of the Enlightenment.

We are the fruit of what we have been and we remain what we have been able to keep. Life gives us an energy, a drive that pushes us to go in search of the world. This natural force, which the Greeks called enthusiasm, would be of divine essence. According to the etymology of the word, enthusiasm indeed means “in theo” or “to be inspired”, i.e. “in god”, it is necessary to understand that god inhabits us when we are in this emotional state. Enthusiasm is therefore that breath of life that pushes us to undertake, to learn, to explore and to create. The logic of the life cycle would have us believe that our vital energy declines over time, which explains why freshness and enthusiasm are more common at young ages. This is why Nicolas de Condorcet here advises us to be wise and not to squander what has been acquired through enthusiasm, which does not seem to last a lifetime. It is therefore advisable to show a certain maturity and to be conservative in the primary sense of the term. The two phases of life would be acquisition and conservation. Each period would have its own qualities. Each of them would have to be optimized in order to lead a life, the best life there is. Old age offers the experience and wisdom that can enhance the years of youth spent developing and working through the natural enthusiasm that we all have a priori. It is advisable to know how to organize your time so as not to be conservative too young or wasteful in old age. Each period of life has its potential that must be understood and lived to the fullest. Wisdom is above all knowing how to be young when you need to be.