science

Wisdom of the Idiots

Wisdom of the Idiots is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Wisdom of the Idiots rather than just read about it. In short: Wisdom of the Idiots is a book of Sufi teaching stories by the writer Idries Shah first published by the Octagon Press in 1969. A paperback edition was published in 1991.

Key takeaways

Wisdom of the Idiots belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Wisdom of the Idiots to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Wisdom of the Idiots from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Wisdom of the Idiots is a book of Sufi teaching stories by the writer Idries Shah first published by the Octagon Press in 1969. A paperback edition was published in 1991. ISF Publishing, sponsored by The Idries Shah Foundation, published a paperback edition on 2015, followed by the ebook version and audiobook.

Content

Wisdom of the Idiots is a book of Sufi teaching stories designed to influence the reader using traditional Sufi psychology. Many stories are reminiscences of encounters with Sufis of long ago but experiences highlighted are valuable even from today's perspective. The carefully selected stories contain several levels of meaning and work like psychological mirrors in which the reader may see himself and Reality reflected, and come to understand these better. 'In Idries Shah's Wisdom of the Idiots, the 'idiots' are Sufis, called this because their wisdom penetrates to a depth which renders it inaccessible to the merely intelligent or academically-knowledgeable.' Shortly before he died, Shah stated that his books form a complete course that could fulfill the function he had fulfilled while alive. As such, Wisdom of the Idiots can be read as part of a whole course of study.

Reception As part of the corpus of teaching stories/traditional psychology, Wisdom of the Idiots has grabbed the attention of modern researchers into psychology. Various techniques that modern science has claimed for itself are clearly present in materials provided centuries before. The psychologist Robert Ornstein has researched the psychological nature of human mind and brain and their relationship to thought, realised potential, and the applicability of traditional techniques for today's applications. Arthur Deikman, a clinical professor of psychiatry and pioneer investigator of mystical states from scientific point of view, studied under Shah and wrote extensively on functional approaches to mysticism. M.Y. Shawarbi, an authority on Islamic culture, scientist and author, says of this book "In comparative religion and metaphysics, the release of over five hundred "teaching stories" in Tales of the Dervishes, and Wisdom of the Idiots, and several other books was recognized in religious and philosophical journals as elucidating a hitherto very imperfectly known system of teaching." Wealth, volume and entertainment factor of these stories have spurred establishment of many organizations and colleges of story tellers. Wisdom of the Idiots has been awarded many prizes, including two gold medals, one for being 'Best Book', in conjunction with UNESCO's World Book Year.

References

External links Official Idries Shah Foundation website Online Book and Audiobook on the ISF Official Website Arthur Deikman website Pat Williams webpage

Illustrations

Wisdom of the Idiots: Idries Shah — Idries Shah

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Wisdom of the Idiots

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Wisdom of the Idiots claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Wisdom of the Idiots before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Wisdom of the Idiots ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Wisdom of the Idiots

In research: Wisdom of the Idiots appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Wisdom of the Idiots in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Wisdom of the Idiots is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1969 books, Books about spirituality, Octagon Press books, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Wisdom of the Idiots outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Wisdom of the Idiots” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Wisdom of the Idiots in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Wisdom of the Idiots means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Wisdom of the Idiots out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Wisdom of the Idiots in simple terms?

Wisdom of the Idiots is a book of Sufi teaching stories by the writer Idries Shah first published by the Octagon Press in 1969. A paperback edition was published in 1991.

Why does Wisdom of the Idiots matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Wisdom of the Idiots?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Wisdom of the Idiots.