by Carol Gioia

Created on: May 29, 2009

Wisdom is knowledge perfected. Acquiring information is knowledge; knowing what to do with that information is wisdom. One can be trained and educated into possessing knowledge. How we process that knowledge and appropriately apply it to life situations determines whether we are merely "smart," or acutely wise.

Wisdom questions in order to obtain answers; then questions the answers. Wisdom is insight into the details of knowledge. Wisdom anticipates consequences to actions. In its simplest interpretation, wisdom is "common sense."

Human beings are not born wise. Wisdom is an acquired trait. An individual obtains wisdom in the following ways:

* Maturity

* Education

* Experience

* Mistakes

* Emotions

Maturity

It takes time to acquire wisdom. As a person grows and matures, he absorbs knowledge about many things. He observes the world around him and discerns which behaviors bring about positive results and which do not. The seeds of potential wisdom are planted.

Education

Life is a continuing learning experience. Wisdom is continuing to want to learn. In order to have wisdom, one must have knowledge. Knowledge is acquired through education. Education is an on-going process; there is education through example and formal education. The more education one receives, the more knowledge is gained and the seeds of wisdom begin to take root.

Experience

Gaining a wide range of experiences will increase knowledge and fine tune wisdom. It is human nature to want to try many new things. We are inquisitive creatures and have expansive minds that are capable of storing vast amounts of information to memory. It is through remembering the success or failure of past experiences that we apply wisdom to current behavior and events.

Mistakes

Wisdom is gleaned through failure. Often knowledge is acquired through trial and error. Making mistakes is a natural part of the learning process. Mistakes are a great learning tool. We learn how to do things correctly and we learn not to repeat the same mistakes. As we acquire experience, we also increase our potential for reacting with wisdom.

Emotions

Wisdom, or lack thereof, is influenced by an individual's emotional capacity. Persons who are impulsive, prone to procrastination, victims of low self-esteem or negative thinking, will be unable to acquire wisdom, even after attaining a high level of knowledge. Emotional instability interferes with the acquisition of wisdom.

Wisdom is a composite of virtues and attributes: Integrity, courage, tolerance, kindness and open-mindedness. Some are born wise; their wisdom appears to be innate. Others acquire wisdom as they successfully navigate their journey of life.

There are many famous quotes about the virtue of wisdom. One of my favorites is, "Wisdom is the reward for a lifetime of listening...when you would have preferred to do the talking.

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