Wisdom
The exact definition of Wisdom has always been rather elusive. So, in an attempt to hone the meaning, I’ve come to the conclusion there are 6 elements that form the essence of this word; mindfulness, empathy, curiosity, love, kindness, and lastly knowledge. Knowledge is placed last in the order because someone who is wise can be so without a great deal of what we usually consider knowledge, at least in an academic sense. The quiet person who listens, who observes without judgement, and who can see beyond the surface, will integrate that experience into a different form of knowledge, a knowledge that runs deeper than what someone may learn in school or from books.
The 6 words that go into Wisdom will have their own written pieces in the future since each one is vitally important in its own right. But this offering is focused on the amalgam of these words.
I sincerely believe that almost all of us are born with the capacity for Wisdom but rarely does anyone personify the essence of this word. More often than not, our childhood environments suppress and extract the basis of gaining Wisdom by squeezing us into preconceived notions set up by our peers and extended family. This is also known as baggage that is handed down from generation to generation.
There are people throughout history whose names come to mind when considering who falls into the category of Wise. Unfortunately it is a very short list. A few of those names include Socrates, Marcus Aurelius, William Shakespeare, Ranier Maria Wilke, Samuel Clemens, Eleanor Roosevelt, Mahatma Ghandi, Nelson Mandela, George Carlin, and the Dalai Lama. No doubt the readers of this piece will be able to add other names, but even then, that list will be extremely limited relative to the tens of thousands of people who have had an impact on our culture and heritage over the centuries.
What those named above have in common with each other is that they could view people with compassion and empathy by setting aside their own subjective nature; the filters through which we view our environment. Since none of us are ever truly free from the traumas of our past, those who are intimately aware of their own baggage can see past it and embrace the gift of knowing what is best for humanity. They are then free to work on creating a better world without egocentrism. If only the vast majority of international leadership could bring a calm and pragmatic perspective to their roles, we might be able put conflict behind us and move towards the ultimate goal of a peaceful world. Regrettably that scenario would be nothing short of miraculous under the current situation.
If there is one single overarching attribute of Wise person, it is the art of listening without judgement and without prejudice. Imagine how it would feel to be truly heard when you have the desire to communicate. And then, to have the capacity to hear with your whole being the words that come back to you.
I began this piece by stating that the definition of Wisdom is elusive. That’s partially due to the difficulty we have in finding Wisdom itself, in incorporating the heart of it into our daily activities. And without meaning to be overly obtuse, we cannot actively seek out Wisdom. Through the very act of desiring it, we will never find it since the overarching desire for achieving our goal will blind us to discovering the peace of mind that accompanies Wisdom. Again, it may sound silly, but the only way to internalize Wisdom is not to look for it.
In Hermann Hesse’s extraordinary book, Siddhartha, the main character searches many paths looking for peace of mind, for divine influence, and for the answers to the questions about life we all ask at some point. It is not until Siddhartha returns to a river he crossed as a youth and listens to the voices of the water, that he begins his final journey to what he had been seeking his entire life. By then, he had stopped trying to find the answers and when he did, they came to him.
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Of the hundreds of bits of writing regarding Wisdom, probably the most famous quote comes to us through the writing of Plato in describing his mentor:
"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing." – Socrates
In knowing you know nothing, you become an open, almost infinitely deep vessel that allows the world to pour itself into you. Where the six words mentioned above can find a home, where you find everything truly worthwhile to be within your reach.
There are lots of wonderful quotes that attempt to define Wisdom. You can access many of those by clicking HERE.
I wish everyone the best in finding their own peace of mind and having the Wisdom to be truly open to seeing and experiencing our remarkable world. I will leave you with a poem I wrote a number of years back.
Missed Opportunity
The angel of Wisdom
lights on my shoulder,
wordlessly whispering
about reason and madness
and the space in between.
But the arrogance of
self-professed intelligence
deafens me and the moment
of enlightenment
passes without a sound.
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I guess that I shall be the first to respond to your topic of choice. Wisdom is like a pool which seems bottomless in depth. Where does one begin to say something about a concept that many have in their mind and heart, an idea that approaches what we mean by perfected humanity? I have known a few people I consider to be, or have been truly wise. I am sure that if I had asked, they would have resisted my offer of assessment of their character and their style of behaving.
Wisdom surely is a matter of cultivation, has more to do with character, with what a person desires than anything else. One may pay tuition for courses of study that are useful, perhaps toward becoming wise. But Wisdom while potential for everyone, is not something that the majority would recognize as valuable, worth the effort.
To your list of individuals regarded as wise, I have to add the old master, Lao Tsu. The Tao Te Ching is one of the most enigmatic, most compelling texts that I have encountered. I even went to the trouble of purchasing a pocket sized version translated by Stephen Mitchell.
I will conclude with a poem that I have treasured for many years. The poem reminds us that reason and wisdom are allied, and that our collective well being depends upon our allegiance to truth, wisdom and reason. I am eager to read what others are thinking in response to your post.
Incantation
Human reason is beautiful and invincible.
No bars, no barbed wire, no pulping of books,
No sentence of banishment can prevail against it.
It establishes the universal ideas in language,
And guides our hand so we write Truth and Justice
With capital letters, lie and oppression with small.
It puts what should be above things as they are,
Is an enemy of despair and a friend of hope.
It does not know Jew from Greek or slave from master,
Giving us the estate of the world to manage.
It saves austere and transparent phrases
From the filthy discord of tortured words.
It says that everything is new under the sun,
Opens the congealed fist of the past.
Beautiful and very young are Philo-Sophia
And poetry, her ally in the service of the good.
As late as yesterday Nature celebrated their birth,
The news was brought to the mountains by a unicorn and an echo.
Their friendship will be glorious, their time has no limit.
Their enemies have delivered themselves to destruction.
Czeslaw Milosz
Jerry
Great addition to this topic. As someone who knows that true wisdom will remain elusive for me personally, I see those who embody this trait and marvel, much like I might when viewing an extraordinary painting or a spectacular sunset over a mountain range. Just the notion of that person’s existence gives me hope for our species. And any form of hope is of extreme importance these days. Thank you.
Tobin
I love, Tobin, that you identified listening without prejudice or judgment as a hallmark of Wisdom. I would add Carl Rogers to your list, for his insights about developmental psychology, and his ability to articulate what constitutes a “helping relationship” :
unconditional positive regard
empathy
genuineness
and I see unconditional positive regard as a way of being without judging, with seeing the best in people and giving them the benefit of the doubt.
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The other thing your piece made me consider was how wisdom is situational, too, I think — so what is wise in one situation might not be in another — there’s a real sense of “skillful means” … so I would add this historical Buddha to the list for sure.
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and in responding to Jerry, Tobin, you said that true wisdom will remain elusive to you – and I would guess/suggest that you are already wise, at least to a degree… that wisdom, I’m imagining has many different types and traits and expressions… not just an on/off switch
Sean – Thank you so much for your reply to this post. Even though I’m not familiar with Carl Rogers, I would guess that based on your insights, he would be a candidate for the title of wise. There are many throughout history whose names I have inadvertently omitted. One of them is mentioned on your website and that would be Joseph Campbell, who I often refer to, especially when discussing religion.
As for my own membership in the “wise” club, I see too many flaws in my thinking and character to believe I have the attributes of true wisdom. From a pragmatic standpoint, I believe I’m fairly good at observing my fellow Homo sapiens and assessing our mutual behavioral patterns. Perhaps if I had been able to focus more during my early years I would have been a researcher in behavioral psychology and neuroscience. I do try to read as many of the approachable lay books on the subject as I can.
Anyway, thank you again. If you have thoughts on any of the other posts, I’m always interested in varied opinion and critique. Both of which are crucial elements of the learning process.