The Sage Archetype (and why our world needs it)

0:00 - Introduction
1:03 - Defining archetypes and sages
2:24 - Wisdom vs. intelligence
3:47 - Wisdom as holistic
5:36 - Our world's problems: 3 categories
7:06 - Problems relating well to each other
9:13 - Problems relating well to ourselves
10:49 - Problems relating well to the world
12:47 - Becoming aware of wisdom as a value
15:17 - Changing our lives
19:28 - Some representations of the Sage Archetype
20:59 - Wisdom & the task of consummating our lives

[@thattimestampguy]

3:15 (Intelligent Wiseman) Unintelligent Wiseman Intelligent Unwiseman (Unintelligent Unwiseman) 4:20 “There’s a time and a place…” Seasons of time [airing every year on “Living”] 6:51 1. Problems relating to each other [War, Rude, Judgy, Pushy] ‘12:00 Wisdom practices/fosters/develops/maintains balance (?) 13:37 Critical thinking is not Wisdom 15:37 _we ourselves_ 17:40 Education not reliable enough to bear Wisdom 19:37 Yoda, Gandalf, Socrates, Solomon - removed from the current time period makes it harder to put the Past into the Present 21:31 Not every elder is wise 23:03 Live Well, 23:47 “Life is always calling [you and I, and him and her, and even that guy over there] 24:22 Thanks. Sacrifice - “To Make Holy” (Are there wisdom tests like IQ tests? Can wisdom be measured in this way?)

[@ericdodson2644]

Thanks again for your work... gratitude. Eric D.

[@dhananjaypatil3116]

@@ericdodson2644 🙏You have become that Sage archetype 😇 in my life. I am sure there are many more who look up to you in that way 😊 You sound like Kahlil Gibran's "The Prophet" who has answers to all questions posed to him ....filled with wisdom.

[@bitphr3ak]

"Intelligence is knowing a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad" 🙃

[@ericdodson2644]

Yeah, not a bad way of putting it. Eric D.

[@rollzolo]

Loved tomatoes until it gave me the itch

[@dantefernandodantezambrano7910]

As well as it is intelligent how to dice a tomato, but it is wise how to add diced tomatoes in a dish.

[@mkay_arc]

Wait tomatoes is a fruit??! Not a vege?? Wat in the name of creation...😆😆😆😆🙈..ive been confuse

[@czarquetzal8344]

"Science teaches us how to kill, but philosophy teaches us when to kill."_Will Durant

[@ericdodson2644]

Yeah... nice quote!

[@Newday2start]

Thank you for this - today I felt content to learn more about contentment. Tao and Jung offer amazing guidance.

[@dantefernandodantezambrano7910]

To get in touch with our inner sage; we must first get to know who we really are, and how do we choose to live. Then, we must confront ourselves, and realize if we like our current lifeway. To acquire Wisdom implies to be aware at all times. In Buddhist tradition to reach Wisdom means to be conscientious every single minute. A sage is someone who knows what's the true purpose of life, and teaches such a knowledge to everyone.

[@irenehigginbotham6392]

Thank you for your service.❤

[@JtothePrez]

There's a Daoist quote that goes along the lines of, "An intelligent man learns something everyday. A wise man unlearns something everyday." which is something I keep in mind a lot these days.

[@minainmunda875]

Love it

[@Anthony-zo3dk]

So happy to see you back in action! Keep up the great work, more people need to hear it

[@kieranhurley3027]

Thank you hor your wholesome talks. They are a treasure. I receive so much from them.

[@jenniferc.2514]

Agreed. Agreed. Agreed. Dannngg.. Despair is exactly where I am. Unseen, Unheard, Long standing, battered, victim, target, & prey to Post IPV, InstitutionaIly Betrayed, Community Abandoned, Legally Abused, Oppressed, State sanctioned & tortured. Which way do I go? Do I go Left where nothing's Right, or Do I go Right, where nothing's Left? My people perish from a lack of knowledge".. Biblical reference of knowledge equates to wisdom. As a people, knowledge abounds just about everywhere at our fingertips, but applying & not applying what we come to know, is where wisdom is rejected and as a people; will perish...✔ I appreciate your sacrifice in sharing as a positive energy interjection.🙏🏾

[@24cts]

thank you - i appreciate the articulation ans descriptions. it is supportive in embracing our sage archetype as the world at large does not embrace this. have courage and faith i tell myself and others! thank you again

[@unusualpond]

The wiser I become, the more superior I feel. D”oH! Seriously though… It is incredibly difficult to act with selflessness, equanimity, compassion, and dignity in all levels of life. I feel like I have made huge strides in my marriage and parenting, while at the same time finding myself detaching from more and more of my social life, because I am confronted with people who have decidedly unwise agendas, who are confronted by my passivity or unwillingness to engage in my previous socially engaged activities (art, culture, philosophy, politics, social issues). When I am asked why I no longer have interest in these pursuits, it’s hard for me to explain my disengagement without sounding, and in fact feeling, superior to my peers. Everyone has to find their own path, but this can be lonely when everyone is constantly taking sides and addicted to their tribal allegiances. And I have to admit, after detaching from many of my previously held beliefs, I do feel that I have escaped a folly and can’t help but judge those who persist in those follies. Even my compassion seems superior to me at times. It has been said that ego death is the biggest ego trip of all and that’s how I feel when I’m trying to better myself. It’s a quagmire…

[@izzyg1569]

“Travel only with thy equals or thy betters; if there are none, travel alone.” - Buddha

[@unusualpond]

@@izzyg1569 but if they are your betters why are they travelling with you? :)

[@izzyg1569]

I think it's called a disciple :-), but you knew that.

[@ericdodson2644]

Well, personally, I like to brag about my modesty. And I can't wait to develop more patience, too. Anyhow... more seriously, I think that what you're describing is mostly a kind of developmental milestone along wisdom's road. Basically, when we learn to see a little farther than most people do, it's easy to get caught up in the egoism and judgmentalism of it. And actually, there's nothing wrong with that. In fact, I'd say it's a necessary & integral part of the larger arc of our development... a little bit like a spiritual adolescence, perhaps. And the thing about adolescence is that we're probably *not* going to become adults unless we're willing to live through it, even if it seems silly, contradictory, pretentious, etc. And at the same time, the surest way to short-circuit the whole process is to fool ourselves into thinking that we've already arrived at our final destinations... that we're already fully evolved bodhisattvas -- woo-hoo! And yeah, you're right when you say that ego-death is the biggest ego-trip of all -- or at least it can be. But perhaps there too, all of the paradox is really just a marker of something we have to live through. So, I'm personally not inclined to disparage anyone who's going through that sort of thing, even if it seems somewhat self-serving & hypocritical. The only thing to avoid, I think, is undue stagnation. But even there, it's not such a simple issue, because what we might call stagnation might be, in reality, nothing more than spiritual pregnancy -- a necessary time when we're awaiting the birth of a new way of being. Of course, all of this makes discernment a lot less straightforward & easy. But then again, whoever said that life is supposed to be easy? Anyhow... greetings from Georgia, USA (in the Southeast). Gratitude for your presence in this universe. Eric D.

[@unusualpond]

@@ericdodson2644 thank you for your personal encouragement and all your teaching Pastor. You’re spot on as usual with spiritual adolescence. I feel like I’m somewhere between Camel and Lion 😊. Onwards! Kind regards from Sydney Australia.

[@aliciaannewoodward]

Came for a little archetypal branding insight - left feeling inspired. Thanks.

[@chezzebait1786]

thank you for your wisdom! thank you again.

[@marcsandroni4898]

Great video! You, Sir are very... wait for it... WISE! Thank you for your insight and keep up the great work!

[@coveofpentagrams2671]

Thank you! amazing content!

[@ericdodson2644]

Well, thank YOU for taking the time to watch & listen. Eric D.

[@vetisjdnek]

Thank you for posting 😊

[@ericdodson2644]

And thank YOU for taking the time to watch and listen. Eric D.

[@bobbymoore3862]

💚💨 Thanks for the video man, much love from Texas!! 😢

[@mikehess4494]

Thank you.

[@bradrandel1408]

Love you… thanks so much! 🦋🕊🌹

[@adeeperlook5866]

Simply and absolutely brilliant commentary about the Sage archetype, Eric Dodson.

[@ericdodson2644]

Well, thanks. I'm glad that you enjoyed it. And thanks for taking the time to listen. Gratitude. Eric D.

[@evygil]

excellent video...thank you

[@richardfox2865]

Just subscribed... excellent stuff. Thanks for your effort.

[@cr-wi9cd]

i love your videos thank you for sharing

[@gazrater1820]

Great to see you doing the business Dr D…as ever great content, you are a phenomenon🎯💡🕛🤩

[@ericdodson2644]

Ha ha... "... a phenomenon." That's a new one. Anyhow, thanks for taking the time to listen. Gratitude. Eric D.

[@ralphplummer1239]

Thanx!

[@dolo333]

What a great breakdown, thank you. I'm so grateful for your comprehension. I usually feel ostracized when attempting to discuss these things with the people around me. I'm working on just what you mentioned, bringing the message of wisdom in a way that many more can relate to! #sage #philosopher #hippie #future

[@ericdodson2644]

Well, thanks for telling me that. I'm glad that I could help you feel a little less alone in this world. And yeah, I also think that the struggle mostly has to do with making wisdom attractive and accessible to people. Anyhow... good luck. Gratitude. Eric D.

[@richardwollyce]

I'm on that mission too, as a musician!

[@MrMarktrumble]

Thank you

[@angelabeney6675]

Great talk ! Sounds like you are a Sage ✔😊

[@czarquetzal8344]

According to Ecclesiastes Chapter 3, there is a time for everything

[@bitphr3ak]

Academics and intelligence are "self" focused, and they are about "doing". Creating, accomplishing, publishing... Wisdom is often the opposite of that...it's about knowing when not to act, when to accept things as they are, or at least know that change or growth will be on a timeline that is not their own. This is why wisdom isn't "taught" at universities, or other educational institutions. Those structures in society are there to create "workers", "thinkers", "creators", and generally speaking actors in life whose drive it is to accomplish things. That being said, disciplines like history, literature, philosophy, religious studies and other areas commonly grouped together as the "humanities" are valuable academic electives or all because they offer human stories from which wisdom can be gleaned, if not taught. Beyond that it is probably the case that those who are considered wise, both in character and in action are of a particular personality (or archetype), and others, by virtue of their "being" will struggle with leading a wise life. ...perhaps there are ways to train oneself to be a wiser human, by reading, meditation, seeking without judgment the thoughts and opinions of others, psychedelics, an integration of one's shadow, and the ability to really listen to what the universe (including it's offspring Life) are saying and doing. It's like math, or language use, if you aren't trying to do better, or worse you aren't trying at all, wisdom can fade into pessimism and contempt for the world. The struggle for wisdom is almost mythological...like Sysphus one is forever pushing the rock of wisdom up the hill, only to have one's ego distract one long enough to watch it roll back down again. ...perhaps the first axiom of wisdom was correctly stated by Socrates: "The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing." ...an honest and terrifying psychedelic experience that dissolves the sense of self, exposes the absurdity of cultural assumptions, and floods one's mind and body with, at the same time an extreme isolation, while simultaneously a profound sense of oneness with the universe might not only be fun, it might be an effective form of training wisdom to humans. ...it's just a thought 🙂

[@ericdodson2644]

Yeah, I agree with your critique of the academic mindset, and its perennial focus on the egoism of accomplishment and doing... which of course tends to run against the current that might otherwise carry us toward wisdom. Personally, I don't see wisdom as something purely characterological. Sure, certain people seem more predisposed toward developing it. But it seems that pretty much *all* of us have the potential of moving at least a little closer to it. And yeah, I'd agree that it does take practice, much like Math, music, language, etc. I also like your quote from Socrates. I'd say that the question of whether or not it's the very *first* axiom... is somewhat debatable. For instance, that famous adage from Confucius might suggest that calling things by their proper names is the first axiomatic movement... and that Socrates' statement about knowing nothing... is just a way of doing that. But in any case, realizing how little we know is definitely important to the process. And finally, yes, I agree that psychedelic experience can certainly be useful within the larger arc of developing wisdom. Much as you're describing, those types of experience can show us how limited and constrained our usual ways of construing reality are. But on the other hand, the human race is endlessly inventive when it comes to our passion to ignore the obvious. And so, it's always a seductive thing just to view psychedelic experience as a form of entertainment. So it goes. Anyhow, thanks for the thoughtful comments. Gratitude. Eric D.

[@Eastern_Sage]

Yes

[@mannysmandatories5595]

Why do I feel like if the Trickster gets forced into a Heroic journey they transform into a Sage

[@TuntematonX]

A nice insight, but from personal experience I know it does not always end there. I think it shouldn't, but it's easy to stagnate. Sage-Trickster relationship is a revolving door of truth and discovery paired with stagnation and frustration. I think the proverb: “The sage battles his own ego, the fool battles everyone elses” , puts it the best. A Trickster becomes the Sage while seeking truth and understanding. A Sage stagnates by itself, so one needs a trickster mock and undermine belief, and force new experiences. If you ponder this more from Jung's perspectives on the Shadow and its role with the Ego and Persona, an interesting pattern emerges. Unfortunately, I don't know if it repeats in Jung's ideas more generally but I find the concept useful. Edit: On a personal note working in research and publishing I have found that mocking myself only improves the work.

[@Om92OneMedia]

A certain aspect of phenomenolgy I notice, when Eric 'looks down the barrel' (as film directors would say), it feels like a 'call to action'. Whether or not the intention is Neural Linguistic Programming, this does seem to 'light the spark' or 'get the ball rolling' (depending on how far you are on your evolving path) especially on the topic of a need for wisdom. Thanks, Eric!

[@idiotbun3552]

Wisdom is embracing existentialism.

[@PLHogan]

Part of problem is the swing to focusing our objectives on defining something so that we may understand it. What we have lost is the ability to think outside the box. We are driven down a thought process based on acutality versus possibilities. Everything must be defined in a sense of black and white but reality is that those things don't exist. We live in a grey universe and must look at all possibilities and not definites. When one believes truly that anything is possible then they are one more person who can help lift the world out of it's misery.

[@knoxgillespie4675]

I appreciate wisdom as a noun, but I also love wisdom as a verb. Precis is a technique of critical thinking which I believe is important for correct knowledge .Holding your knowledgeable feelings like compassion is the another part of wisdom, holding space with compassion and and making a Precis brings a wider viewpoint. The third aspect is being synergeticly creative with the situation or your inner world.

[@ericdodson2644]

Yeah, I think that wisdom is always something dynamic rather than static... more like verb than a noun. In that sense, there is no "wisdom," as such... only something like, "Wisdoming" (which sounds pretty awkward in English). That's ultimately because life itself is a dynamic process. And yes, I agree with the emphasis on compassion, and on creativity, too. Anyhow, thanks for the thoughtful comment, and for taking the time to listen. Gratitude. Eric D.

[@bradrandel1408]

I have a question for you. Would you rather be a dumb smart person or a smart dumb person? For some reason my mind thinks that there is a difference… I think I’d rather be like Forrest Gump… It has been so long since I’ve watched one of your videos I’m so glad you’re still doing it I still want to come sit down and visit with you thank you Eric with all my heart…🦋🕊🌹

[@ericdodson2644]

Well, if I had to choose, I'd rather be wise than intelligent... more like Forrest Gump than Jeffrey Epstein, for instance. The fact is that intelligence that lacks wisdom (and/or kindness)... can be a very superficial & shallow thing. And I bet that we both have known people who are extremely intelligent, but who are walking disasters in all of the ways that really matter. So, at the end of the day, the real question is: What are we *doing* with whatever intelligence we've been allotted? Are we making the most of the cards we've been dealt... in that area and in many others? Or are we mostly squandering our gifts & blessings on trivialities that aren't terribly commensurate with the actual nature of our souls? In my estimation, Forrest Gump played his cards well. Jeffrey Epstein did not. And in the end, I'd rather be someone who plays his cards well. Anyhow, thanks for the thoughtful question. I hope you're well and thriving. Eric D.

[@czarquetzal8344]

Are you into Zen Buddhism? I wanna read Buddhist philosopher but I don't know where to start.

[@kamenkirov6268]

Thank you. Will try to be as good cat dad as you )

[@TD-ug4mg]

the best way to convey the difference between wisdom and intelligence is legitimately to play dungeons and dragons

[@quantumfizzics9265]

Jordan Peterson is a great sage archetype for me 😂

[@mullcrumthesage6303]

True wisdom comes from the One True God...the wisdom of the world is foolishness with God.

[@Flamingpiano]

How does the sage compare to the magician?

[@rjbenway8804]

The difference between the sage and mage is that the sage only helps other people

[@joshtheegotist]

I really like your work, this video included, but I think archetypes are not what we need. To come to the level of a sage we don't need more sages. We just need to let everything go and let grace, the power of the sage, go full throttle. I think we need to come to a place where we just flow. Or rather, to realize that we are just flowing. And I think we need to relinquish control and authority, instead submitting to the flow of existence. Accept it. All of it. I don't know how we do that lol, I don't think we *can* do it. I think Grace is the autonomous power and motive behind all things. I think, when Grace so desires, she will simply swallow us all whole. And there is nothing we can do to speed or slow this. Humans think we are in control. We aren't. That is my opinion.

[@ericdodson2644]

Well, I think that when we allow ourselves to flow within the currents of grace and organic process... that's when we actually become sages, or at least more sage-like. The paradox of wisdom is that it's a function of what we allow, rather than what we're trying to force. In other words, it's the thing that *doesn't* happen when we're trying to force it to happen. And yes, being swallowed by Grace seems like a good way of describing that. However, I'd also say that there *are* certain things we can do to make it more likely that Grace will favor us. For me meditation is one such practice. However, there are others: Creative experience, being "In the zone" in whatever we're doing... even ecstatic sexual experience. So, while I'd agree that we're not in control, we're also not *out* of control. Instead, we're somewhere in the middle between those extremes. But it may be that you and I see things differently in that regard. But in any case, thanks for the thoughtful comment. Gratitude. Eric D.

[@joshtheegotist]

@@ericdodson2644 a beautiful reply indeed, and I think we are pretty much in cohesion, have a wonderful day.

[@mikehess4494]

If we want more of something in the world just add the words "war against"...war against wisdom...

[@sojournerkarunatruth4406]

When your human rights are being, righteously and so gleefully, violated; and these non-human animals won’t stop breeding, they behave as if the human race is, threatened. That’s the correct time for self importance #imnotasking It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia | Charlie’s Breakdown kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZpyTgoVogbekgLc ^ In this clip, Charlie attempts to carry his dead dad’s corpse, up a hill…

[@ericdodson2644]

Yes, I'd agree that self-defense is a good time for a healthy dose of self-importance. But what I'm critiquing here isn't that, but *runaway* self-importance, where it ends up consuming 95+% of our lives... where it becomes a kind of addiction, rather than an adaptive response to life's demands. Anyhow... thanks for taking the time to listen. Gratitude. Eric D.

[@pirateslifeforme7158]

I kinda have to disagree with you on terms of Socrates and Solomon making wisdom making it seem remote and unattainable . I would argue Friedrich Nietzsche have this problem , considering the fact that a lot of people dont understand him and just think he is a nihilist. And his idea of the Uberman seems even more remote , giving the fact that life is full of people who actively pursue great things and fail, so why would wisdom be any different. Like you said , changing is hard and that's what makes wisdom rare or in this case remote as you put it. And just like gold and diamonds are rare , so is wisdom . I doubt Tolkien and George put their sages as inhuman due to this.

[@adi0jar]

Hello, I wanted to contact you regarding a book proposal. Kindly let me know if there any email id where I can reach out and share further details.

[@ericdodson2644]

Well, you can email me at [e-mail]

[@izzyg1569]

Your lecture once again was enlightening, but I was surprised that you would use fictional examples of the sage type, and dismissed the Buddha, the Christ, Zarathustra and/or Gandhi. These sages were able to transcend the Self. And where above your example of Ying Yang, for a true sage would never justify, "a time for hate" nor "a time for greed."

[@ericdodson2644]

Hmm... I suspect that you and I see sages and wisdom differently in that regard. In my view, wisdom comes to us mostly when we're able to allow what is... to be what is. In other words, it's mostly about the art of allowing. On the other hand, when we're eager to avoid contact with things we don't like about life (negative phenomena like hate, greed, enmity, immaturity, judgmentalism, etc.)... or to think that there's no valid time and place for them... we're basically setting ourselves up for what transpersonal psychologists sometimes call, "Spiritual Bypassing..." which is a way of shutting down the essential developmental challenge of learning to live in relation to life's negativities. After all, I bet that you've learned some pretty profound life-lessons from having to deal with things like hatred, greed, stupidity, rejection, alienation, etc. I certainly know that I have -- most especially when they're my *own.* And I'd say that all of that has helped me become a little bit wiser, too. But how could that be, if there's not really a valid time and place for those sorts of experiences? But of course, if you see things differently, that's certainly your prerogative. As the saying goes, "Your mileage may vary." Anyhow... I probably would have mentioned the historical figures you're listing, if I'd thought of them when I was making the video. They're certainly worthy of being included as exemplars. So, it wasn't that I was dismissing them. I just didn't think of them at the time, probably because I was trying to think of popular cultural figures who most people would know about. And anyhow, there are probably quite a few others I could have mentioned, but didn't think of at the time. What about Shakespeare, or Martin Luther King, or Mark Twain?... you're probably getting the picture.

[@izzyg1569]

​@@ericdodson2644 Thank you for taking the time respond to my comments. I completely understand that good and evil, generosity and greed, pain and laughter live in all of us. And I pray I would not be the first to cast a stone. It's just that I believe that the Sage Archetype would always choose good over evil. We learn from an early age that to causes another child pain, does NOT feels good. And went WE give a homeless person our last quarter it makes us feel good. I might be taking an over simplistic approach to a very complex psychological (or philosophical) concept, but in the words of Bernard M. Baruch: “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.” Peace

[@genesisofdaylightgodthecre8146]

I can see lizard eyes to.. in many arround my i think the keep my away from the World.. I try to reach out to people i also know about the war in heaven . I know the holy tree line from the very creator. I know how souls were created . And how we were enslaved on this planet.

[@kyhxx]

*

[@kyhxx]

+ in personal arc- older cephalosporin and Socrates etc Luigi says^ + TG4 Jordan Peterson ^

[@kyhxx]

Reat video man - dropped a follow - u layer it out vry well-

[@genesisofdaylightgodthecre8146]

I am the last Obsidion archetype , i have a archetype genesis inside of my and it talks to my. And my soul is merging with it now. True corona i have evolved true a natural selection . my soul use to be Samuël aka lucifer and i said let their be light in the bible. I know now god and the devil are twins. Both a light and dark seperation of the true creator. I have fixed my Animus. Genesis tells my to start the end times , genesis means god genes left by god in this gene pool great game for a worthy vessel with a pure hearth. To lead mankind towards a archetype Society true crystals. GOD means Genesis Of Daglight for the light and god for darkness means God Of Darkness. What should i do ? I dont wanne die.. I keep waking souls up . But i dont feel i got the right people arround my.

[@gabrieltopan9315]

start the change by eating vegetarian :) love animals

[@SD-rm5ty]

" the genocidal dictators of the world gotta love them" 😂😂

[@pragatisupakar4858]

INFJ

[@mikehess4494]

Thank you.