The Elusive Wisdom of the Analyst

Waiting to become wise seemed the only possible course. I came to that decision when, as a young analytic candidate surrounded by a variety of sage elders, there seemed to be no clear unambiguous path to pursue to achieve that sought-for state of serenity, knowledge, and peace: wisdom. Convinced as I was of the possession of that precious condition by most, if not all, of my teachers and supervisors, I could not at first fathom how such a diverse bunch of beings had managed to arrive at the same similar and sought-for spot. They were all wise, of that I had no doubt; but that they seemed to manifest different evidence of that state was a matter of temporary puzzlement. One wise teacher, for example, told me never, under any circumstances, to accept any sort of gift from a patient, while another equally prescient one insisted that this should not be a worry. It may even be a benefit to allow oneself to be so gifted. These supposed contradictions were, however, ultimately not the problem, inasmuch as I could, with some careful consideration, see that wisdom clearly took different forms at different times. My puzzle had to do with the way to wisdom, that is, just what to do to get there. There seemed to be no easy answer. Finally I decided that reading or studying was not the path, nor was it to be attained by an emulation of my elders, nor was striking out on an original course the proper pursuit. I was left with no alternative but to wait until somehow, in some way, I, too, could lay claim to membership in that elusive