Paul Graham is a venture capitalist who runs an incubator program for technology start-ups. He often writes provocative and interesting essays. His latest essay is an exploration of the difference between wisdom, intelligence and their relation to ones happiness.

He writes “I think it’s important to understand the relationship between intelligence and wisdom, and particularly what seems to be the growing gap between them. That way we can avoid applying rules and standards to intelligence that are really meant for wisdom. These two senses of “knowing what to do” are more different than most people realize. The path to wisdom is through discipline, and the path to intelligence through carefully selected self-indulgence. Wisdom is universal, and intelligence idiosyncratic. And while wisdom yields calmness, intelligence much of the time leads to discontentment.”

Check out the full essay at http://www.paulgraham.com/wisdom.html