Note how the goddess of wisdom is Athena – who is also the goddess of strategic warfare.

Ares is also a god of war – but he is the patron of carnage, brutal and violent action.

Homeric Europe had (at least) two gods of war. The god of wisdom is also a god of war. This tells you a lot about how you should view wisdom and intellect in general as a European Pagan.

Without victories, wisdom is nothing.

There is no divine spark in the type of smartness that doesn’t lead you to winning.

Hours of mental exercises need to have your victory as your goal.

That is why philosophy, excessive reflection, overthinking are very often godless activities. They are titanic at best, and thus never lead you to true happiness and fulfilment, because Titans always miss that spark in their work.

The fatherhood implication of this is that you should always encourage winning in your kids.

Being smart is instrumental to winning and getting what you need, but being smart without the goal of winning and getting what you need is a waste.

Our myths and fairy-tales show how the smart and the cunning one gets the prize, and there’s a good reason there are so many of those.