There is no such thing as the most stubborn Dutchman

Walker- Bart Kouwenberg

To celebrate the 3000th registration as a pilgrim, we came up with the election of ‘the most stubborn Dutchman’ two months ago. We thought it would be a nice idea to propagate our values: someone who goes her or his own way and at the same time is connected to the world around them.

After a while, it started to gnaw at me. To think one is ‘wiser’ than the other does not fit with the idea that everyone has their own wisdom. You can’t be more or less wise than the other, whoever makes that comparison proves the opposite. You are wise in a certain situation. Within that one unique situation, you can make a more or less wise choice.

I think wisdom is almost always a choice that takes into account the long term and the environment. You can make a wise choice and then be extremely unwise. Incidentally, I sincerely wish everyone the latter on occasion.

In any case, no one can appropriate wisdom. At most, you can strive for it, and a sensible fool will take into account that it will fail regularly. There is no such thing as the ‘most stubborn Dutchman’ and that is why we are refraining from awarding the prize.

“Better to be half-turned than to have gone astray.” – that I can say that to myself!