By Tom Riley on

Wisdom

This post is a reflection for a course I am taking at Renison University College at the University of Waterloo. The course is titled Positive Psychology and is taught by Professor Denise Marigold, currently the Chair of Social Development Studies.

The topic of the reflection is from the course, though the response is my own.

To investigate the concept of "wisdom", I endeavored on the time-honored tradition of speaking with some elders in my life. I interviewed my grandmother Linda, a mother and grandmother, a former foster parent, who also spent some time as a counselor. I interviewed my grandfather Eric, a father and grandfather, who formerly worked on heavy equipment for the mining industry including inspections and test driving. I also interviewed Glenn, a father and a retired physician and behavioral scientist (psychiatrist).

What is wisdom?

All three related the concept of knowledge and intelligence but were careful to draw a distinction. Linda saw wisdom as an accumulation of knowledge drawn from life and experience, by learning from everyone and everything. She emphasized the importance of learning not just from the wise, but also learning from other's mistakes. She thought wisdom was affected by your values, and it was knowing how to spend your time and money, and also knowing what you don't know.

Eric emphasized that it is an active concept, not just collecting knowledge but knowing how to use the knowledge to your benefit. That included knowing what to learn, how to spend your time, and knowing things that are useful and not just meaningless facts.

Glenn looked at things from a more theoretical standpoint. He saw wisdom as a nebulous concept, which was multi-dimensional. He saw it as a concept with cognitive, affective/emotional, and behavioral aspects, the confluence of which describes wisdom. On the cognitive side there are the facts at your disposal, and how you rearrange and combine them to seek out reality on the horizon. He emphasized the important contribution of mindfulness to this aspect. This cognitive dimension directly influences your affect, and there we see a sense of calmness and serenity. He saw wisdom as a kind of homeostasis, and a synchronization of yourself and the universe and how you integrate with your surroundings. Wise people are able to deal with ambiguity and maintain a perspective on the bigger picture.

Is there anyone you have met that you consider to be particularly wise?

Eric had an old mentor named Henry Chamberlain who guided him when he was a young man growing up. Henry owned a farm but also worked as a furniture maker. He taught Eric endless things and was a very kindhearted and calm man with good values. He was impressive and intelligent, yet never boastful.

Linda wasn't sure she had ever met one person who epitomized wisdom. One woman she met decided to hire her as a counselor when she was young without much experience because they could see her ability to care for people. That woman knew when to bend the rules and could see the bigger picture.

Glenn also didn't think any one person could epitomize wisdom. He didn't see wisdom as a nirvana at the top of a cliff or as an old wise man who can tell the secret of wisdom.

How do people acquire wisdom?

Eric and Linda thought you have to actively seek wisdom to gain it, and you have to learn from your mistakes and not give up in the face of challenges.

Glenn brought up that wisdom is not just a mature of nurture, but also of nature. He thought that to some extent people differ in the degree to which they are naturally wise. He did think that you could learn to become wiser, for example from your studies.

Is wisdom the same as intelligence?

None of my interviewees saw it that way. Linda thought that anyone can be wise regardless of intelligence. Eric thought that there are different ways to be intelligent that are independent and separate from wisdom. For example, a lawyer may need to call a plumber, and a plumber may need to call a lawyer. Both can be wise or not.

Glenn also though they were not the same, but he did think you need a baseline of learning and the ability to integrate your knowledge with your situation to be wise. He thought some people may be naturally wise and not need a lot of intelligence.

How could someone in their twenties gain more wisdom?

Eric and Linda both thought it was a lifelong process. They suggested seeking out good role models and learning from the bad ones. They said to identify your goals, and to stick to them but also be willing to learn. Linda emphasized compassion, and attention to relationships.

Glenn also talked about the interpersonal, suggesting that by focusing on communication skills that you will better be able to live in a world with other people. He thought that this interpersonal aspect has become even more salient with the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. He thought that mindfulness was important to the cognitive aspects of wisdom, and that mindfulness training could improve that. Finally, he noted how his formal training as a healer (physician) and behavioral scientist (psychiatrist) helped to teach him to tolerate ambiguity and the unknown, which he saw as important to wisdom.

Discussion

Between their descriptions, they picked up on a number of key points discussed in class:

One interesting difference between their answers was the extent to which wisdom is innate. Eric and Linda emphasized wisdom as being a skill that anyone can learn, while Glenn emphasized the nature aspect. While the two are not mutually contradictory, it would be interesting to learn more about the extent to which wisdom is a personality factor or a natural ability and how much is it an acquired skill.