Intro to Toward Wisdom

What is wisdom?

Even though it’s a subject that has been discussed since the great philosophers of old, surprisingly, there still isn’t a generally accepted definition of what wisdom actually is.

While a bit bland, the dictionary definition of the word is simply the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment. This implies that both knowledge and experience are applied together to enhance judgment in present and future experiences. This, in turn, increases both experience and knowledge.

Wisdom can be divided into subcategories, numbered depending on belief system. Aristotle divided wisdom up in two ways: the existential/metaphysical and the everyday/mundane. Stated slightly different, these might be considered theoretical and practical. In a religious belief system, wisdom might be categorized as God’s wisdom, the world’s wisdom, and a man’s/woman’s wisdom.

Existential/metaphysical wisdom is often associated with philosophy. These are the really big-picture ideas that require considerable time and effort to develop. Practical wisdom, however, is more readily grasped; more accessible to everyone.

Copthorne Macdonald made this observation:

In my view, wisdom comprises certain extraordinary attitudes, value-based ways of being, and perspectives and interpretive frameworks that we might call ways of seeing.

Each of these elements can be expanded into lists of mental attributes that contribute to the wisdom of an individual. These elements will be the subject of a number of articles in Toward Wisdom. For reference, here are Macdonald’s lists, slightly revised for clarity and flow:

Wise Attitudes

Feeling fully responsible for one’s life choices and actions
Feeling a positive, “let’s make the most of it” attitude
Having a reality- and truth-seeking orientation
Possessing a desire to learn, and a feeling of responsibility for one’s own learning
Possessing a desire to grow, to develop, “to become all I am capable of becoming”

Wise Ways of Being

Attentive: awareness of mind events and processes as well as what is happening in our immediate situation
Creative: producing uniqueness and novelty that has intrinsic value
Cooperative functioning of intellect and intuition
Self-disciplined: able to work now for a reward later
Courageous: able to face dangers and fears with clarity and skill
Aware of one’s own eventual death to the degree that it helps guide one’s life
Adaptable: dealing with situations appropriately, using a large repertoire of approaches and techniques. Being able to choose the approach that best fits each situation: appropriate planning, appropriate timing, appropriate problem-solving, dealing with commitments appropriately, etc.
Non-reactive: able to deal skillfully with powerful emotions
Deeply loving, and able to manifest love in appropriate ways
In awe: having a sense of wonder
Compassionate
Well-behaved: acting in ways that benefit others
Mature: deeply valuing wholeness, perfection, completion, justice, aliveness, richness, simplicity, beauty, goodness, uniqueness, effortlessness, playfulness, truth, honesty, reality, self-sufficiency

Wise Ways of Seeing

Clear comprehension of “the laws of life”: deeply understanding causes and consequences in interpersonal, societal, employment, and other arenas
Seeing happiness and joy as unconditional and always available
Self-knowledge and a realistic self-concept
Appreciation of the enduring structural and moment-to-moment content aspects of life, and their relationship to each other
Holistic seeing: an appreciation of system, interconnectedness, oneness, the evolutionary process, and the complex nature of causation

To be wise, one need not possess all of the above elements. To be considered wise, however, one must possess a large number of them, and those well-developed. Thus, the world isn’t divided into the wise and the unwise. All people live and exist along the spectrum of ignorance to wisdom.

It’s important to remember that wisdom isn’t accidental. It has to be sought after and actively applied in order to be obtained.