From http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/05/06/opinion/edfreud.php (via Mark Thoma)
"But what Freud did believe was that governments - like individuals - must strive to examine and to acknowledge as clearly and unsentimentally as possible the motivations behind policy. If one acts on a delusional premise, one's actions will only coordinate with their real world object randomly, if at all.
Near the conclusion of "Civilization and Its Discontents," Freud wrote, "One thing only do I know for certain and that is that man's judgments of value follow directly his wishes for happiness - that, accordingly, they are an attempt to support his illusions with arguments.""
Here is a long article about wisdom: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/06/magazine/06Wisdom-t.html?
Excerpt: 'From the outset, it’s easier to define what wisdom isn’t. First of all, it isn’t necessarily or intrinsically a product of old age, although reaching an advanced age increases the odds of acquiring the kinds of life experiences and emotional maturity that cultivate wisdom, which is why aspects of wisdom are increasingly attracting the attention of gerontological psychologists. Second, if you think you’re wise, you’re probably not. As Gandhi (who topped the leader board a few years ago in a survey in which college students were asked to name wise people) put it, “It is unwise to be too sure of one’s own wisdom.” Indeed, a general thread running through modern wisdom research is that wise people tend to be humble and “other-centered” as opposed to self-centered."
