As I Approach 20...

I developed a rather introspective and wisdom-seeking personality ever since around 15 years old, so now, at 19-going-on-20, I have roughly 5 years of adolescent 'wisdom' so to speak that has aggregated and collected. I'm fully aware of the apparent paradox in adolescent wisdom, but I would argue it's only apparent, and that even an adolescent can begin to touch upon some of the most important facts of life so early in his own life. In any case, it will be interesting to look back upon, to identify my follies and my accuracies at a later age.

Adolescent Wisdom

1. Wisdom is a practical virtue, and as such things that contribute to wisdom should be things that are pragmatic and help you live a better life.
2. The cliché about moderation is so accurate that it even applies to itself: moderation in moderation. In other words, as a rule of thumb, go for the middle amount, but allow yourself to deviate from that when appropriate.
3. Almost everything about wisdom follows from the maxim of moderation, but I'll continue this list anyway. Because I want to.
4. Try not to aim at goals detached from the present so much, but instead actively mould your  present based on ideals that please you.
5. The past and the future are chimera, though the present stretches infinitely out both ways.
6. Never entirely discount the unexpected. You are a small element of a vast web: a ripple on an unseen side may shake your world.
7. Take more effort to love your friends and good family,  though always love yourself a little more.
8. Don't be fooled by the lie that romantic love isn't the greatest of loves. It is. This doesn't mean you can't survive without it.
9. To the very best of your ability, you should be your own foundation in every sphere of your life, but most importantly: emotionally.
10. That which is superficial is transient and rarely or never long-lasting. However, the superficial can be very important for its utility.
11. Confidence is the ability to use something profound in order to positively shape the superficial. In this way, confidence is a virtue.
12. Confidence is a mask, and if you can control it, you can use it to mask your other deficiencies. This virtue is too useful not to learn it if you can.
13. If you cannot master confidence, remember that the superficial is transient anyway, and you can find other ways to peace.
14. Truth is a powerful substance, so handle it with care.
15. Lying is a destructive tool, so avoid it if you can.
16. Intelligence is often a superficial trait. Do not mistake it for a virtue.
17. If something is a virtue, it is wise; if something is wise, it is a profound, long-lasting guide in how to live life  and avoid suffering born  of the human condition.
18. A superficial trait is temporary and transient and thus cannot be wise or virtuous. Never regard a superficiality with the reverence you should regard wisdom, because doing so will inevitably lead you closer to suffering. This is because revering something temporary means you will lose it and suffer.
19. Life is a superficiality, but you yourself are replete with potential wisdom. By this I mean: one day you will be without life, so it is temporary; but you will never be without yourself. This is why you must be your own foundation.
20. Know that wisdom is something closer to understanding than to knowing,  and as such is difficult or impossible to teach. To know is to see truth; to understand is to feel the guiding connections beneath. In this way, you can know something you don't understand and you can understand something you don't know.
21. To the best of your ability, divide everything into the superficial and the profound:  regard the former with stoicism and regard the latter with analysis, to see if it is wise, true, or sophistry. Revere it if it is wise; contemplate its use if it is true; discard it if it is sophistry.

I'll stop there, at 21. There are more specific things I might have listed, but I tried to go with generalities towards the end to encompass more things, to gain a wider panoramic view.