What Is Wisdom

written by: Adriana Cullen; article published: year 2007, month 06;

In: Root » Self improvement » Happiness and spirituality

  Share  
|
  PL  |  NL  |  FR  |  ES  |  PT  |  IT  |  DE  |  DK  |  NO  |  SE  |  FI  |  GR  |  JP  |  CN  |  KR  |  RU  |  AE


Basically, wisdom is navigational intelligence. It’s the ability to make the choices that create the positive consequences we want to have in our lives.

What would happen if you did squat with your spurs on . . . or kick a cow chip on a hot day . . . or slap a man who’s chewing tobacco? You probably wouldn’t like the results. So you avoid doing the things that bring those negative results. That’s wisdom.

On the other hand, what would happen if you decided to go to college instead of skateboarding your way through life . . . or put 10 percent of your income into a savings account every month . . . or invest time and effort in creating a great marriage or raising good kids? You’d probably like those results . . . particularly over time. You’d be making decisions that bring positive results. That’s wisdom.

Something or someone who is “wise” is “characterized by wisdom; marked by deep understanding, keen discernment, and a capacity for sound judgment.” Synonyms include sage, sapient, judicious, prudent, and sensible. Can you imagine a better characteristic to have as you try to make the daily decisions that will create satisfaction, life balance, and peace?

To one degree or another, we’re all aware of wisdom. It’s reflected in the way we speak:

  • “It’s not smart to ‘burn the candle at both ends.’”

  • “Those people are really wise with their money.”

  • “It’s dumb to spend too much time on the Web.”

  • “It would be foolish to buy that on credit—with interest, we’d end up paying for it twice.”

  • “They’re a nice young couple, but they spend their money as fast as they get it. That doesn’t seem very smart.”

  • “I didn’t say anything at the time; it wouldn’t have been wise.”

The more we learn to value principles, evaluate experience and invite inspiration, the stronger our navigational intelligence, or “wisdom,” will be.

Share

Disclaimer

1) E-articles is not responsible for the information contained by this article as well for any and all copyright infringements by authors and writers. E-articles is a free information resource. If you suspect this article for any copyright infringement, please read the terms of service and contact us or use the "Report this article" button on this page to investigate the problem.
2) E-articles is not responsible for inaccuracies, falsehoods, or any other types of misinformation this article may contain and will not be liable for any loss or damage suffered by a user through the user's reliance on the information gained here.