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#3. What is Wisdom? Your Wisdom IQ?

“Wisdom” is a complex, fuzzy capability that both spiritual traditions and philosophers have been trying to define, promote, and achieve since recorded time. In the past 40 years, secular science has joined the - definition and development - challenge.

One short answer is: we know wisdom when WE see and/or receive it. Wisdom is a two-way experience. We may see and mimic wise role-models. And, we are grateful to receive wise advice. But, what skills did our advisor have? Did they: earn our trust; read our mind; and time their personalized questions and suggestions in an intriguing way? Did they confirm the Tao Te Ching quote: “When the student is ready the teacher will appear”.

Although wisdom advice is all over the internet, what percent of society seeks, heeds and works to achieve it? The full equation is: Know-how AND Can-do. Wisdom is an integration of a number of sub-skills which take a lot of intentional work to master.

Wisdom sub-skills?  A global Delphi survey concluded that across all cultures - “wisdom” is a byproduct of the following, integrated, skills:^[1] 

1. Self-Reflection for growth- choices, insights, and progress.
2. Emotional regulation to: defuse negative emotions; grow and deploy positive ones; and, stay calm for positive, problem-solving amidst chaos.
3. Pro-social skills: self-compassion allows us to have compassion and altruism for others; plus much more.
4. Accepting uncertainty and still have the situational judgment to make a necessary, decisive decision.
5. General knowledge of life and social decision-making via experiences.

Subsequent survey work has added: ^[2]

6. Openness to new experiences
7. Humor
8. Spirituality

Further conclusions:

1. Learning from (especially adverse) experiences takes time, so wisdom correlates with age.
2. Wiser people are healthier, happier, longer-living and not lonely. Wisdom is an anti-dote to loneliness.  

What about “spiritual wisdom” advice? Another study scanned spiritual texts for wisdom advice and found a near-perfect overlap with the scientific survey results above. The exceptions: spiritual texts stress – “love your God” and don’t pursue material wealth for its own sake. ^[3] 

So, “wisdom” has not changed over recorded time, and it is a universal, biological potential within humans.

Measuring Wisdom? We can’t specifically but can roughly. Consider going to SD-WISE to take its survey. Try to be honest and consider taking it several times over a few weeks.

Can we Improve our Wisdom? Yes, if we want to. No one is born wise, but then not all adults within any segment (or siblings within a family) grow to be equally wise. Not everyone is a life-long, self-learner. Most of us need supportive resources to be as good as we might imagine.

How can we help more people to become wiser, faster?  Help me to answer this question. Email your thoughts to this site.  

 

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