Yes to all of these! But first and foremost, it is a willingness to GIVE A DAMN. The person who seeks knowledge and wisdom must first care about the world in which they live. Ignorance is the root of evil, but apathy is the root of ignorance.

     Enter the Student of Life.

     A Student of Life is an individual who can discover examples of the Ultimate Concerns of Existence in daily experience. What are the Ultimate Concerns? To find them, one need only spend time alone, in contemplation: the inevitability of death, free will, meaning and purpose of one's existence. For a Student of Life, ideas move the world and the secret to improving the world and the quality of one's own span of years lies in finding and discussing the right ideas. In other words, they quest not just for knowledge, but for wisdom. That is, not just what is "correct" about life, but what is good about it. Understanding life's Ultimate Concerns helps one to make life decisions on a daily basis and better make sense of life's viscissitudes.

     A Student of Life can find ideas in a number of places. Many look to religion. Others seek it in philosophy. And some look into Intuition or mystical Enlightenment, getting immersed in such areas as meditation and deep contemplation. It doesn't matter where you seek ideas. Just seek! Care about the world in which you live, about the greater historical and humanistic context in which your own paltry handful of years unfolds. Contribute to it.

     In other words, be a Student of Life.