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On Wisdom and the Search for Truth

No bad thing ever came from an honest search for truth. 
I believe all truth, ultimately, is of God. Finding the truth, therefore, though sometimes quite painful at the time, and always requiring some degree of insecurity, is always good and beneficial in the long run. The other side of the coin is that a closed mind never truly benefited anyone. For example, if a person closes their mind to the search for truth, he or she cuts themself off from learning, growing, acquiring perspective, and finding truth. Thus, if truth is of God, they cut themselves off from discovering more about Him. If a person searches for truth with an open mind and an honest heart, he or she will find the truth, and by extension, find growth, find perspective, find wisdom, find God.
Many examples of open-minded seekers of truth exist in history, among which are Joseph Smith, Buddha, Ronald Reagan, Thomas Jefferson, and many many others. Let us focus on one great example of an open-minded seeker of truth: C.S. Lewis. Lewis was a stubborn atheist to begin with, but he was willing to seek truth with an open mind, and ended up logic-ing himself into a belief in God (see the book Mere Christianity). After that, he became one of the greatest defenders of Christianity at large the world has ever seen.
As a person searches for truth, they acquire perspective. Perhaps they explore a viewpoint that they conclude is not totally correct. They still have the perspective they gained, though: they know how the people from that worldview think, and can see the good and bad in that viewpoint. As I define it, that is wisdom. Wisdom is total perspective, and any expansion of our own perspective brings us closer to it. If we open our minds to wisdom, wisdom will open our minds.
Another example of a person who sought truth and wisdom with an open mind is Will Durant. In case you don't know, Durant was a historian who won the Nobel Prize for his 11 volume series, The Story of Civilization. He studied as much history as he possibly could, in remarkable depth. Through this lifelong endeavor, he acquired a very large perspective, and found lots of truth. So while I don't agree with everything Durant believed, I have an immense amount of respect for him, because he was not afraid to look ideas in the eye, and always tried to find the truth. 
As we risk the temporary insecurity of opening our minds, and we find the greater security of living with wisdom, growth, and an open mind, we will find a more perfect perspective, finding a greater degree of learning, and grow closer to God, the One from Whom all truth originates.

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