I Don't Have All The Answers

I think, for what my young opinion's worth,
That, good as it is to have infallible wisdom,
Since this is rarely found, the next best thing
Is to be willing to listen to wise advice.
                  ~Haemon in Antigone

 I think this quote has a lot to contribute in terms of "deeper meaning." It characterizes both Haemon and Creon. Haemon's wisdom is shown by his acknowledgment of his limited knowledge and the value of advice, and Creon's pride is shown by his unwillingness to seek the advice of anyone else about what to do about Antigone. It also specifies a motif we see in this play of Creon's self-reliance when he really should not trust his own judgment. Creon is unwilling to listen to his son, he won't heed the words of the blind prophet Teiresias, and he counts only on his own wisdom, not once seeking advice from another source. This statement is followed by some comments on the wrongness of the situation, leading me to believed that this quote also foreshadows Creon's imminent downfall by pointing out that Creon's wisdom is not infallible and therefore suggesting that he is most likely wrong.

This quote really caught my attention because it's something I can easily relate to. I don't have extensive knowledge on everything, and I would be foolish to think that I can handle every situation based on my limited experience. In fact, I know I can't, because I've tried. I spent middle school and my first two and a half years of high school trying to do that, and it didn't work out that nicely for me. So in January of my junior year, I sought out advice from my core group leader at church. She's really come alongside me and become a mentor for me. We get coffee every so often and talk about life, and she helps me look at how I can deal with specific situations and improve my relationships with God and my friends and family. I can't have the answers to everything, and it would be ridiculous to think I could go through life based solely on what I know. But fortunately for me, I have a mentor I can count on for wisdom in tough situations.