Wisdom

Explore acquiring wisdom: For now, and forever.

As our society plunges deeper into the twenty-first century, we know more, learn more and have more facts at our fingertips than any people in history. And that explosion of information is increasing. The sum of human knowledge now doubles in mere decades, rather than millennium. In terms of sheer information absorbed, each of us would be considered a genius, compared with those living a century ago.

Yet, to make a lasting difference in one’s field or faith requires more than a solid memory and high IQ. We need wisdom. And judging by the modern plagues in terms of greed, terrorism, chronic anxiety and increasingly antisocial behavior, we need it desperately.

What is wisdom? Too often, it is used as a synonym for intelligence. But book learning and brain crunching skills are only half the story. Many are born with a great capacity to learn, but no one is born wise.

Wisdom could be considered three parts intelligence, two parts empathy, a pound of perception, a touch of creativity, a generous helping of social skills and a heaping portion of maturity, all simmered over the long, slow burn of experience. While intelligence can be very effective with a narrow focus, wisdom understands the big picture.

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