With intellect, knowledge, mind, everything seems to be clear. Many people can explain. But when asked what wisdom is, only a few will answer. After all, it goes far beyond the usual education or upbringing. Wisdom is not taught in school or university. Where, then, can I get it? Can you do it on your own, or do you need a mentor? At what age does wisdom come, does it depend on the years lived? We will try to answer all these questions together.
What is wisdom?
Wisdom is intelligence augmented by experience. It is not enough to know something, it is also important to be able to apply this knowledge correctly. By and large, there are several interpretations of wisdom. From a philosophical point of view, this skill reflects the degree of knowledge of the world and the assimilation of information. In religions, wisdom is a quality that belongs to the Creator to an absolute extent, and is revealed to people in small fragments. The word “Sofia” is widely used in the lexicon as a synonym for wisdom. This is where the term “philosophy” itself comes from, as “philosophy”.
At the everyday level, we can talk about the wisdom of life that appears in people in the process of their growing up. It is associated with various experienced situations. Thus, ancient knowledge about the laws and mechanisms of nature once appeared. For example, people discovered the medicinal properties of certain herbs, studied the behavior of wild animals, and foresaw seasonal climate changes. Nobody taught them this. It’s just that the experience and knowledge gained through numerous trial and error helped to better understand the world around us and ourselves.
Most often, wisdom is associated with maturity, but the number of years lived cannot be its only measure. The matter is that its psychological equivalent is more important than biological age. Someone can gain as much wisdom at thirty as another at fifty. Not necessarily this quality will be possessed by a gray-haired old man who lives off the family fortune of his aristocratic ancestors. At the same time, a young girl who has changed a dozen jobs and has been in any kind of ups and downs will be distinguished by real life wisdom. Many are sure that for women this quality is much more important than academic knowledge.
Understanding all the versatility of wisdom, our ancestors identified a number of its types, which will be discussed in the next section.
Kinds of wisdom.
In speaking theology, a classification is distinguished based on the approach of man to the divine principle. According to these views, there are such types:
- Wisdom is the highest degree of wisdom inherent in the Creator;
- Wisdom is a person’s experience, multiplied by the knowledge revealed to him;
- Prudence – the skills and abilities acquired by a person.
According to Buddhist ideas, there are five types of wisdom inherent in women. If desired, a man can comprehend them:
- Mirror – a clear and objective perception of things or events;
- Equalizing – a feeling of close interconnection and equality between all things;
- Distinguishing – the perception of things separately and as part of a whole;
- Associated with experience – the ability to learn from life situations;
- All-pervading – understanding the infinity and universality of the world, a sense of the possibilities of space.
Other religions offer their own interpretations of wisdom, but conventionally they can be divided into two categories: Divine (spiritual) and human (vital). The wisdom of life is the skill of competent application of accumulated knowledge. It arises only in the process of activity, because it depends on its results. Higher wisdom can appear in a state of rest, for example, meditation, when a person clears his mind of everything superfluous so much that he begins to feel the voice of the Universe.
Where to look for wisdom?
This skill can be developed in different ways. Some are looking for a teacher. Others read books. Still others stuff their own bumps. Fourth combine theory with practice. Fifths are not looking for anything at all, but at certain moments an insight comes to them.
If someone consciously wants to become wiser, but does not understand what steps to take to do this, you can use the following recommendations:
- To adopt the experience of those whom you consider wiser;
- Avoid redundant or useless information;
- Learn from your own and others’ mistakes;
- Develop proactivity and positive thinking;
- Apply the acquired knowledge in practice;
- Practice conscious self-development;
- Learn to hear your “inner voice”.
These tips are quite simple, both in understanding and implementation. They can be used at any age. The main thing is that a person is ready, because in order to become wiser, elementary inclinations are needed. Most often, this skill comes already in adulthood, although it is worth considering the gender specificity of the issue. Women’s and men’s wisdom are different. The former master this “science” much earlier, while men need more arguments and confirmations that satisfy the logical type of thinking. Their desire to systematize and put everything “on the shelves” slows down the process of cognition, but makes its results more reliable.
It is not for nothing that Eastern traditions distinguish two parts of a single whole – yin and yang. It is in their interaction that a single whole is created, which is distinguished by perfection and harmony. The wisdom of a woman and a man is to learn from each other, respect the experience and knowledge of your partner.
Moreover, wise people believe that everyone we meet on our way is our teacher. Therefore, do not neglect anyone, because each new acquaintance appears in a person’s life for a reason.
Human wisdom does not depend on study or career. It is determined by deeper components than just the level of knowledge, ingenuity or ingenuity. The named skill combines all of the above, multiplying by experience, intuition and spirituality. The main teacher in this case is life itself, and the repertoire of its methods is limitless.