Yes, you find wisdom where you can, sometimes in the unlikeliest of places. Waiting for a couple new books to arrive in the mail, I found myself re-reading Richard Hell's "I Dreamed I Was a Very Clean Tramp." I do think it's a beautifully written "autobiography." An uncommon, compelling life for sure. This rang true...
"People don't really have the right to take credit for themselves at all. Ultimately, not only are we all the same, but what happens is out of our control. I suppose that's what religions are about - coming to terms with the way that behind the veil, nobody is different from anyone else, much less better, and no one even has any control over phenomena, including themselves - and is the sense in which religions are true, recommending, under the circumstances, surrender to "God," (which is to say, acceptance of "what happens"). All there is are the entertainments, pastimes, of love and work, the hope of keeping interested." - Richard Hell