What is Wisdom?
Although we know it when we see it, wisdom defies easy definition. In the East, wisdom has traditionally focused on understanding and controlling one’s thoughts and passions, as well as the ability to promote social harmony. In Western cultures, wisdom appears as good advice, codes of social behavior, and an understanding of the meaning of life. In recent centuries, Western notions of wisdom took a rational turn, coming to be more closely associated with knowledge. After a century of contact, Eastern and Western notions of wisdom are beginning to blend to create a view of wisdom as an embodiment of one’s knowledge and compassion expressed in the context of relationships.
We tend to think of wisdom as simultaneously grounded in a deep subjective experience of our emotional self and in an abiding awareness of our common humanity. In essence, wisdom is the result of an “inclusive way of experiencing the world”, a combination of self and other in what Dan Siegel calls the “mind”. And while knowledge gives you the capacity to understand what you are doing, wisdom helps you to attain a justapplication of that knowledge in the context of relationships. This is probably why knowledge can be judged against objective standards, while wisdom is recognized in the heart and through group consensus.
Who comes to mind when you think of a wise person? Someone from your childhood who made an impression on you? A philosopher, minister, or guru? When a group of undergraduates were asked to name well-known wise individuals, their top ten choices were as follows:
Gandhi
Confucius
Jesus
Martin Luther King Jr.
Socrates
Mother Teressa
Solomon
Buddha
The Pope
Oprah Winfrey
This list contains an interesting mix of people, cultures, and historical eras. You may notice that we don’t see Napoleon or Madam Currie on this list, so power and intellect aren’t synonymous with wisdom. Similarly, we don’t see any presidents, generals, or Wall Street tycoons. Instead, those who are thought of as wise are known more for their insight, compassion, and courage. In fact, four of the first five died for their commitment to their beliefs. In looking over this list, you may have an emotional reaction to one or more of these people. I certainly have one when I think back to the speeches of Dr. King that I heard as a young man. Perhaps this kind of emotional reaction to another human being, the neural networks they stimulate, and the biochemical processes they trigger, are aspects of how we identify wisdom—a sense that comes from the heart and gut as well as the brain.
With these thoughts in mind, I asked a group of graduate students to list the qualities they felt made someone wise. They were quick to point out that wisdom brings together both intellectual and emotional intelligence in ways that focus on our common humanity. The consensus was that wisdom emerges in the context of people coming together to comprehend and solve important social problems. I jotted down some of what they said and sorted their descriptions into three categories: a broad perspective, personal attributes, and attitudes towards others. The following table contains descriptors of wisdom that emerged from our discussions.
Aspects of Wisdom
A Broad Perspective
Self-awareness / Knowing what is important / getting down to essentials
Seeing the bigger picture / rising above one’s own personal needs and cultural traditions
Understanding that knowledge is fallible / maintaining a balance of knowledge and doubt
Personal Attributes
Moral principles and the courage to stand by them
Achieving a certain amount of detachment and not getting caught up in the moment
Able to handle difficult situations well
Attitudes Toward Others
Empathic / caring / concerned / forgiving
Being kind, loving, and compassionate
Understanding and accepting that people are fallible
According to this small and informal survey, attaining wisdom involves being able to see past the surface issues to deeper levels of meaning. Wise individuals can also discard notions of a singular correct perspective and remain open to new learning while recognizing limitations and distortions in their own thinking. A good example of this attitude comes from Michelangelo who, in the ninth decade of life, had written above his studio door, Ancora Imparo(I’m still learning); it is such a simple statement of insight and humility from the creator of David and the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
Social science research suggests that wisdom coalesces from a complex pattern of personality variables, life experience, and inner growth. Those judged as wise in any age group excel in coping with existential issues and grasp the relativism of values. They tend to have a rich internal life, good social skills, and remain open to new experiences. Someone with wisdom is capable of sustaining their focus on a problem, as they consider its multiple dimensions along with their personal responsibility in the matter at hand. Given that navigating complex and difficult relationships is one of life’s most enduring challenges, much of wisdom is expressed in how people interact with and treat one another. Looking back to our list of wise people, most could be considered social revolutionaries who attempted to uplift the oppressed and/or serve the common good.
This is an excerpt from Dr. Cozolino’s book Timeless.