Trying to put a definition on wisdom

Someone once said that smart people and wise people both know a lot. But wise people also know that there is a lot that they don't know.

What is a wise person--and what is wisdom?


Most authorities agree that wisdom develops over a period of time. Additionally, wise people display good judgment and are skilled in their ability to learn from mistakes. Learning from past mistakes often includes admitting errors, which is also a hallmark of wisdom.

Other authorities on aging recognize and label wisdom as practical--a skill that helps solve real human problems. Wise people do not attribute success or failure to fate, but instead look for patterns, and cause and effect relationships which give them clues to future remedial action.

Other characteristics of wise persons include:

• Being empathetic, understanding, and caring. Wisdom becomes practical when it is useful and is used to help others.

• Insightful and intuitive. Wise people possess more self-understanding than the average individual. Their insight is often perceived by others as having a "sixth sense" about the future.

• Not being bound to seek strictly right or strictly wrong answers. Instead, a wise person is able to tolerate ambiguity as knowledge about life expands.

• A wise person is seen as managing his or her own life effectively and is viewed as being balanced and in harmony with those around them.

• Another interesting aspect of wisdom is its development which contains some of these elements:

• Wisdom develops through the acquisition of knowledge and experience.

• Wise people are often described as having finely developed skills in logic, reason, and perceptiveness.

• The feelings that accompany the wise person's experiences contribute to their wisdom. Having one's views challenged and being able to examine opposing points of view contributes to the development of wisdom.

During the second half of life many individuals are sought out by others as being wise and helpful. They derive a great deal of satisfaction from their wisdom and ability to help others. Although the acquisition of wisdom does not automatically accompany aging, most wise individuals are in their second half of their life.

One final interesting thought about wisdom is that older persons, in comparison to their younger cohorts, are less likely to directly link wisdom with old age. Perhaps this is another example of their wisdom.