What Makes Us Wise?

Is thinking about wisdom part of getting older?

Lately, I've been wondering what wisdom is. Here's how my dictionary defines it, "Understanding what is true, right, or lasting." I've been living with that definition to see if it seems, well, true, right, and lasting.

I also want to know what makes us wise. Is it something we can actively achieve? Or does it grow as a result of experiences well digested? Is it something, therefore, that comes with age? Or can the young be wise, too? Can you take a course? What's the best way to learn?

And is wisdom a label we can attach to ourselves? Can we say - to anyone other than the mirror - with a straight face and no trace of hubris, "I am wise"? Or must others confer it?

While thinking about all of this, I started a separate brain file on "genius". It seems comparably tricky to assess, acquire, and pin to our chests. Unless the Nobel committee or MacArthur Foundation come calling, that is. (Which means, of course, that they've thought about this a lot - are there organizations that are thinking about wisdom, too? And does anyone give out a Wisdom Grant?)

Here's one of the items in this genius file-in-my-head. A number of years ago, Oprah had Paul Simon on her show. She asked him if he thought he was a genius. I winced at the question, but my jaw dropped when he replied, "Yes." (Maybe if he'd ducked his head or scuffed the toe of his shoe on the carpet when he said it, I'd have been less distressed. He seemed so sure.)

Has wisdom been in your mind, too? And what do you do when you're looking for an answer to life's big questions? Do you Google? Talk to people? Read the latest books?

The essayist Anne Lamott would advise writing queries like this on a little piece of paper and tucking them away somewhere - in the glove compartment, say, or in your sock drawer, or, if it's handy, the Wailing Wall. And then waiting for an answer. (If you don't know Anne Lamott's work, you're in for a treat.)

I'm still wandering around thinking about it, so it's time to turn to you. (Consider this as a little survey. I'll collect your responses and publish them in a future column.)

1. What is wisdom? How do you define it?
2. Who do you think is wise? Is it as grand as the Three Wise Men? Or simply your nana, the guy who sells papers in front of the subway, or your three-year-old godson? Which leaders/thinkers/writers seem wise to you? And why?
3. Is wisdom inside of us, waiting to be kindled? Can we set out to acquire it? Does it require a lot of work? What kind of work? Can anyone help? (And is 'wise woman' [or, dare I say, 'wise Latina'] a career option - could you hang out a shingle, 'Wisdom, 5 cents'?)
4. What else is important to think about re: wisdom and its value in our modern world?

Please share your thoughts by commenting below, or by emailing me directly: julia_AT_wearethenewradicals.com.

Julia Moulden wrote We Are The New Radicals: A Manifesto for Reinventing Yourself and Saving the World. She also gives speeches and writes speeches for the world's most visionary leaders.

Comments

[auntiegrav]

I noticed that there is little attention paid to those 'New Radicals like myself and friends, who turn to the soil as the future of the human race. All of those grand schemes of "change from within" and "helping others" and "building solar panels" tend to assume that some version of the consumptive lifestyles and System of systems will continue to feed and clothe them as they and all of their children pursue the Life Dream of educators and suburbia. They all expect all of their children to be valedictorians at college, scientists or doctors or lawyers in some big city 'someplace' else. The result is that our schools teach to the same mental picture and nobody learns to stay home, buy local, build community except by word of mouth or association with the REAL radical idea of de-consumption.

Wisdom is the time-tested ability to moderate oneself and to pass that ability on to future generations.
"All things in moderation, even moderation."

[drkazmd65]

Part 2:

3. Is wisdom inside of us, waiting to be kindled? Can we set out to acquire it? Does it require a lot of work? What kind of work? Can anyone help?

I think there is wisdom in everybody in their own way. Only an individual has to learn it through trial and error, experience, and has to be capable of self-reflection and self-criticism before they get to that state. Many people never learn this. Many people take a long time to start to figure it out.

I do think if one goes in search of wisdom it can be achieved. However, I don’t think even a truly open-minded person, earnestly seeking wisdom, can get wise in all things at the same time. You have to figure out the difference between what you ‘need’, and what you ‘want’ for starters. You have to have time to figure yourself out and be comfortable in your own skin. You have to learn to listen to others and think about what they are actually trying to say. You have to learn to actually shut up once in a while – even when you really think you really have something to say.

I – have not quite achieved this state yet.

4. What else is important to think about re: wisdom and its value in our modern world?

Wisdom is valuable anywhere and any time.

[drkazmd65]

In my humble opinion:

1. What is wisdom? How do you define it?

Wisdom is hard to define, but you know it when you actually see it. Wisdom (to my mind) is the ability to step back from yourself and separate your own ego from what you are seeing/hea­ring/exper­iencing. It is the ability to reflect on your past actions, and/or combine those observations with the observed actions of others, and to sift through what has and hasn’t worked in the past. Wisdom is not really tied to age, but to experience in a particular set of situations. Age just gives you a leg up on wisdom.

2. Who do you think is wise? Is it as grand as the Three Wise Men? Or simply your nana, the guy who sells papers in front of the subway, or your three-year-old godson? Which leaders/th­inkers/wri­ters seem wise to you? And why?

My Grandmother was wise in most practical ways – at age 95 and still in possession of most of her marbles she had great perspective. I have thought my Dad was wise in a quiet, observing kind of way ever since I got over my teenage “my parents are stupid” phase. As far as writers go, the wisest ones to me have always seemed to be the satirists. Christopher Moore has a great grasp of the human condition, and how ridiculous it can be and it shows in his books.

To be Continued

[Pippen]

There are different levels of wisdom like art. There is the guy who bangs on an empty bucket with a stick for coin and he sounds pretty good so you drop him some quarters but then there's Led Zepplin. Two totally different levels of art.

A person can make a wise choice one day and still make a life long bad one the next. The difference is the level of wisdom. A person cannot obtain a high level of wisdom only living a small short life, one must be old and be aware of the right choices. Doesn't necessarily need to have lived wise choices but know of them.

Nobody can be considered wise that has done little. Wisdom is earned through exposure and experience.

There are many wise people some even considered brash and impulsive but the effort of their lives was to forge a nation. To rebuild a people. To follow a faith. To bring goodness and richness to a world and to take nothing from it. Sometimes wisdom is expressed in violent upheaval. Knowing when and what wars to wage is wise.

No man or woman can be called wise that has taken from this earth more than they have given.

No man or woman can obtain wisdom without help from wiser people. A life time does not afford anyone the time to choose well and act boldly. Wisdom means learning from the right people. Fools who learned and lived to tell.

[humaneismyth]

wisdom is subjective.

[GonzoFactor]

Not being Republican, conservative, or Libertarian. Yes, I know I'm ranting.

Seriously: Know thyself, and try to know others.

[SangZe]

Vitamin D?

[abbyrose86]

1. What is wisdom?
In my humble opinion, wisdom does not come from one thing or another, but rather the compilation of knowledge, empathy, learning, life experience, curiosity, humility, and willingness to see outside oneself.

I think true wisdom comes from the realization that life is not just about ourselves and is somewhat selfless. It is not just intellect, or education or experience. All these are helpful in the quest for wisdom. It is enlightenment and the ability to understand and apply various competing concepts. Wisdom is not all knowing, it is not omnipotent; truly wise people know they don't know everything and are ever questioning. Wisdom is not perfection, people can be wise and make mistakes.

2. Examples of some people I think of as wise:
Martin Luther King Jr.
Gandhi
Nelson Mandela
The Dalai Lama
My father
Gore Vidal

These people exemplify wisdom to me, because they attempt(ed) to see life from other perspectives. They realize(d) that life is not black and white; there are many shades of gray. They believed concepts larger than themselves and tried to find commonality.

3. I believe everyone has the ability for wisdom. It does take work. as well as introspection, willingness to admit when wrong and openness to other ideas. It takes looking outside yourself and learning from your life and the life of others. It is a journey, with no end. For some it is innate for others it takes a lifetime of experiences.

[jnutlfam2]

Very well stated.

[abbyrose86]

Thank you!

[alwaysthere]

Wisdom brought me back here to read this !!

thank you rose 86

[abbyrose86]

Thank you that was such a nice comment!

[Homosapient]

To me, wisdom is the ability to discern the world as it is and not as how we want it to be. What do I mean by that? Religious people see the divine hand of God in everything around them while atheists see proof of the lack of divine intervention in the ways of the world. The same world, but two interpretations.
The only way to become wise is to become a skeptic and strip away the myriad belief systems that comprise our world. Belief systems like conservativism or liberalism, being green or even healthy eating inform all of our actions and thoughts or rather misinform them. Oddly, obtaining knowledge of many belief systems is the way to become a skeptic. If you are knowledgeable about many religions, it becomes harder to believe just one, for there is beauty in each.
Seeking to understand all points of view and all ways of life is the best way to discern that there really is not one right way to believe or perceive or be, and then one can become wise.
btw - I have put up a website with how beliefs can wreak havoc in corporate America at http://whomovedmyholyhandgrenade.com Still a work in progress, though.

[fumes]

there are two types of people:

those who believe that and those who don't..

wisdom is knowing the difference.

[GonzoFactor]

No. There are two types of people: those who divide people into two types, and those who don't.

[sanmartianspinoza]

One of the Greeks, (I think it was Aristotle), said that "Wisdom is the ability to recognize evil".

[jnutlfam2]

I've looked at ang thought about what you wrote. I don't know if the quote was from Aristotle (maybe Socrates?) or even if it is a complete quote; however, I would submit that wisdom, having recognized evil, would also pursue truth.

[bikerdude]

What makes us wise? Having enough humility to learn and listen. Expressing our questions and listening to the answers.

[GhostwriterDoF]

To me, Wisdom is found through understanding applied with perception and tried by the greatest possible perspective. Thus, even in the limited experience of youth one might express some clarity of vision. I think everyone is capable of moments of genius, when we aren't being utterly foolish. If asked if I thought myself to be a genius, I would say no but, I am confident in the principles I believe in.

To be wise, is to realize that learning doesn't end when you close a book or graduate, the real learning begins when we apply our knowledge through trial and error. If you wish to be wise, then open your eyes, and challenge what you think you know. Although I've been chasing wisdom my whole life, I'm still not sure if it's attainable in a single lifetime. Our ancestors took great measures and sacrifice to preserve the knowledge of their age, to provide their answers for us, to help guide our questions into the new ages.

The collective voices from the past can help us write new chapters for our future generations, as they entice and entreat us, from Religion to Eastern and Western Philosophers, and even Science, that we should learn to live together despite our differences, and in spite of ourselves. And we should also be reminded that a book or belief is not defined by a single passage, quote, psalm, or formula, or a selected handful of the chosen ones.

Paul G. Rose

[Norge]

GhostwriterDoF

You wrote "Although I have been chasing wisdom my whole life" end quote

I refer you to a extended comment given by GrainOSand, "a greased pig is hard to catch"
and from my understand of those words, is that it would be wiser to use your time in the persuit of other activities.

Norge

[GhostwriterDoF]

We can't all be lion tamers, Norge. One can chew gum and chase wisdom too, yet the chase is not a race where the prize is found at the end of the line, for the chase has its own reward. Still, I can do no other, since piles of gold never could hold the luster that in me the search for knowledge does muster, and it comes as no surprise that I might be considered to be among the un-wise. Such is my fate, you see, as I am no stranger to adversity.

[bikerdude]

You are right. Your responsibility to remaining teachable extends to the end of your life. In addition to learning all about thinking with our heads, we need to also learn to think and act from our hearts. Being able to express unconditional love to others is a gift you will never know until you do it. Receiving that love from one you love it the pinnacle of joy...
Learning and loving never stops. It feels the same if you are 17 or 71,,,

[Zoica]

Wisdom is the result of a lifetime of experience and observation of human nature. No one is born wise, he/she becomes wise through TIME. It takes a LOT of TIME to gain wisdom. However, just living a long time does not make a person wise. He/She must be observant and thoughtful about what goes on around him/her.
The older I get, and the more I see and experience, the more I am convinced that we are all controlled by our hormones. Once we grow older and those hormones start to fade, we can look at life more objectively and begin to UNDERSTAND everyone else. Hormones make us crazy, and the loss of hormones allows us to gain wisdom.

[didereaux]

That is extremely thoughtful and probably very near the truth. To put it in a more homely metaphor: 'Wisdom is knowledge stewed in a pot of time'

[TomZart]

PREACHERS, TEACHERS AND POLITICIANS


Preachers, teachers and politicians
Too many times turn out the same.
Forecasting predictions of what lay ahead
Confused by self-love, ego and shame.

Forewarning of judgment and our own unawareness
Blaming others for corruption and the mayhem of war
They seek our endowment of revenue and support
As volunteers e-mail or beat on our door.

Thank God for each and every individual
That prays for wisdom, repentance and grace.
Not perfect though remorseful, repentant when wrong
As their devotion radiates from their face.

Listen and watch carefully the shepherds of man
Judging them by what they practice not preach.
Do they make you wonder about their purpose?
As they communicate, inspire and teach.


By Conservative Poet
Tom Zart
Most Published Poet
On The Web

[PhilipB]

Hmmm...I am not sure your label makes you wise.
I question the wisdom of attaching this label to yourself.
Anyway, if makes you feel better about yourself; a way to differentiate yourself from others, then we can certainly see that, but It does negate anything you say now or in the past or even in the future. Universal truths that we all know in our our hearts as wisdom is understood without political labels.