When we have some questions, we may hesitate to ask them thinking that others may consider us foolish for having those questions. Such a fear may become especially pronounced if we are ourselves in a position of authority and are expected to have answers. Nonetheless if we do not have answers and we don’t ask questions then the only result is that we stay ignorant. And especially if we need the answers to make a key decision then our giving into the fear of appearing foolish may actually lead to our doing something foolish where we make a decision that is not just unwise or unproductive but even downright counterproductive and even catastrophic. To avoid such an eventuality and protect ourselves from a self-inflicted tragedy, we need to be willing to appear foolish so as to avoid acting foolishly. 

At the start of the Bhagavad-gita, Arjuna demonstrates the readiness to pay such a price when he turns to Krishna with a sense of urgency and fervency with the desire to know about dharma, the right thing to do (Bhagavad-gita 2.07). If Arjuna had not asked that question, not only would he have continued in a state of paralyzing indecision but also we would all have been deprived of the wisdom of the Bhagavad-gita which was spoken by Krishna in response to Arjuna’s earnest enquiry. 

How did Arjuna risk appearing foolish? Three ways: Firstly, he was born in a dynasty of warriors who were all expected to fight when required. Secondly, he was not just one among the many warriors on that battlefield; he was the foremost archer and the entire army depended on his expertise for not just succeeding but even surviving given the highly unfavorable odds that they faced on the battlefield with their enemies having a far greater numerical strength. 

And thirdly, Arjuna was in the middle of the battlefield which was the place of maximum visibility for   soldiers on both sides, thereby making his admission of his inability to decide especially embarrassing and even massively mortifying. Yet Arjuna paid the price of appearing foolish and became wise – and we all can follow in his footsteps.

Summary

The courage to appear foolish is the price for becoming wise.

Think it over

  • Why do we have to pay the price of appearing foolish and when does the price seem especially steep?
  • How was the price extremely high for Arjuna?
  • Is there any area in your life where you are hesitating to pay this price? How can you overcome that hesitation? 

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13.08: Humility; pridelessness; nonviolence; tolerance; simplicity; approaching a bona fide spiritual master; cleanliness; steadiness; self-control; … [ – all these I declare to be knowledge] 

The price for becoming wise

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