by Ann Nurse

Created on: September 24, 2010   Last Updated: November 27, 2010

                                                Wisdom and Intelligence Difference

Wisdom is spiritually cultivated.  Wisdom it is ethical.  Wisdom has philosophical and practical application. Intelligence is wonderful and necessary but the right application of knowledge is necessary for wisdom.  We can know facts and figures, even schematic reasoning and logic-but wisdom adds compassion to the scenario.  

A wise person knows what to do most of the time in a given situation.  Wisdom has less concrete criteria and obvious markers  because characteristics such as experience, discipline, compassion and inner directions come into play with wisdom.  There are wise people who have made great contributions to mankind in their humble way. These people quietly use wisdom with the motive to make the recipient better.  Wisdom tends to look at a problem from a holistic perspective.  Intelligence tends to be problem specific.

Here is how the dictionary defines wisdom:

A deep understanding and realization of people, things, events or situations, resulting in the ability to choose or act to consistently produce the optimum results with a minimum of time and energy.  Wisdom is the ability to optimally and efficiently apply perceptions and knowledge and so produce the desired results.  Wisdom is comprehension of what is true or right coupled with optimum judgment as to action.  Fame, financial gain,  and personal acclaim  is not the motivational factor of wisdom.  This kind of wisdom is derived from adherence to The Word of God and humble application.

Wisdom in the secular sense as defined in the dictionary calls for discernment and right or correct application of knowledge, i.e., wisdom.  Christian believers conclude only God can give the discernment for right application of knowledge-is wisdom.  One aspect of wisdom is to understand righteousness, judgment and equity.

 Intelligence is defined in the dictionary as an umbrella term describing a property of the mind including related abilities, such as the capacity for abstract thought, understanding, communication, reasoning, learning and problem solving.  Intelligence indicates knowledge but it is not indicative of wisdom.

 An intelligent person can take a premise or a set of facts and reach a logical

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next Page >>