Demystifying wisdom

 

What comes to mind when you think of wisdom?  For me, it is a host of ideas such as achieving serenity, being selfless and open minded about others.

One of the main definitions is 'good judgement' which is often associated with common sense and decision making.  Wisdom is mostly related to action. 

Something we may hear is 'wise choice' or 'wise move' or the command 'wise up'.

The term is used in various ways but I had always thought wisdom was accumulated over many years and that you had to be 'of a certain age' to have gained this.

Knowledge is something else - usually related to a particular subject but we still require it with regards to wisdom.

Experience is a 'keyword' as the more we are learning and exposed to our environment the better we become at managing and maintaining ourselves and the situation.

Think of yourself in a new situation - perhaps buying a train ticket in a foreign country for example, and as a complete novice you need explanations and instructions, however if you were living there, within a certain amount of time this routine would become standard.  Would you feel like a wise person if you were assisting the novice?  Probably not 'wise' but knowledgeable enough.

So there is something a bit special about wisdom and the acquisition of it.  Opinion and wisdom may not go hand in hand either.  Through the experiences of relationship breakdown and hurt, I feel a bit relieved that my grown children are not in relationships because I don't want them hurt but I am definitely biased - because I do know that all relationships do not result in hurt and pain.

So then, 'wisdom' is not pure knowledge nor opinion.

It is hard for me to put a finger on wisdom but what about the roles we have in society?  Could we be wise at our work but in general not a really wise person?  Or is that the same as being an expert at our job?

Many of us may have been in the position where we have ignored advice and it ends up being a mistake but we do not want to hear 'I told you so'.  But this quiet admission to ourselves is the core of learning from our mistakes and we will grow as a result.

So, I'm sort of back to the drawing board with regards to wisdom but still have the association with objectivity, selflessness, a certain age and experiences.

Maybe it is cliche to picture a Monk for example, meditating and finding serenity but this is what I imagine though.  Or even sometimes an owl with reading glasses...

Images aside, and on a practical level, maybe wisdom comes through in our actions and behaviour in relation to the inner mind.  So instead of generalised thoughts, wisdom is words or an idea that when applied makes a sort of universal sense. 

"The only true wisdom is knowing you know nothing"  (google)

Reflection then, has its place - thinking about experiences, weighing up the consequences and perhaps working out what is really important.

Wisdom is not factual - we won't reach a level of accomplishment or achievement but have more of a feeling about something and it could be we have a reaction and it catches us in a moment of realisation: I didn't overreact, or, feel enlightened quite suddenly.  So time wont stop but we may have a flutter, a new confidence or an immense feeling of well being or anything else which matches our own sense of what wisdom is.

Paula Smith