The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight.
What evil people do is flip the script on what is right, just, and fair. They twist the truth in a knot in an attempt to justify evil and condemn righteousness. Then, they try to pull you into that same way of evil with them. God's wisdom, in contrast, gives you a proper understanding of goodness, righteousness, justice, and equity, and wise people will try to pull into the way of life.
God is the source of all life. Therefore, when you walk in his ways, that very obedience to his word becomes a shield around you, guarding you against the forces of death, sin, and evil. When God gives you wisdom, when he opens your heart to understand him and his word, inherent to that knowledge is the protection of your soul.
There is no greater quest you can give yourself to than knowing God more every day. God has revealed himself to us in his word. The most direct path to knowing God, then, is to give yourself to his word like someone who is searching for a hidden treasure!
Turning away from the reproof of God leads to the destructive force of complacency.
You are as wise as you want to be.
Greed is deceptive. The greedy person will do whatever it takes to get what he wants. Many people will try to sell you on this idea: they will entice you to follow your selfish dreams. Yet, the person who ultimately suffers from greed is the greedy person.
If fearing the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, then listening to your parents is the first step you take on the journey to becoming wise.
Do you fear the Lord? If God is who He has revealed himself to be in the Bible, then we must respond to Him with trust, love, and, yes, appropriate fear. This is the holy God, whose law is perfect, whose promises never fail, and whose justice will be satisfied. As one author wrote, the fear of the Lord means that you “believe his promises and love him; and you believe his threats and fear him.”
It seems now that being a person with a cool spirit is no longer "cool." What society seems to expect is outrage, rash judgments, and rants against those who disagree with us, whether it has to do with political, religious, or social issues. Remaining calm, prudently taking your time to make judgments (Proverbs 18:17), and staying aloof from conflict (Proverbs 20:3) are viewed as weakness, cowardice, or fear. Yet, the Bible teaches that these are virtues.