Wisdom is not a thing

Well then, what is it? And the answer very much depends on who you ask. But one thing's for sure, it doesn't have to be dressed in a saffron-coloured robe to qualify.

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It would be hard to find anyone who, assuming they’re relatively normal, would say that wisdom is a waste of time. Sure, it might not be something they think much about nor care about particularly. But if asked what they thought about the idea of wisdom or being wise, I'm guessing the overwhelming response would be positive. In other words, we like someone who is wise. We like wise thinking. It's one of those things that’s hard to pin down and yet 'we know it when we see it', a common response in surveys on wisdom.

Psychologists don't yet agree on what we mean by wisdom¹. You'd think I'd be mentioning philosophers, not psychologists. After all, isn't wisdom more of a philosophical bedfellow than psychology? Well, it depends.

And let me just pause right there before going on. That phrase "it depends" is going to pop up a lot in this post, so hang on to it.

Defining Wisdom

Firstly, overall. Search wisdom in various places and you will find that it is defined as knowledge, ethereal knowing, a set of principles, a divine mind, being older, something given by God, and so on. In fact, in my experience there is an amazing amount of pure b/s out there about the subject.

Secondly, Philosophers often aim to identify wisdom by pondering the Universe, the nature of meaning, or their navels. There are a lot of journals written by ancient Greeks, for example, that are seen as being filled with wisdom on various aspects of life. But what exactly is wisdom? Is it a thing that can be found?

Thirdly, this is where psychologists come in. In psychology, if you're interested in understanding a phenomenon, i.e. what is going on and why that phenomenon likely happens, then you need to turn that phenomenon into a construct, one that can be observed and measured. Otherwise, there's just no way to identify the reality.

For example, if a psychologist wanted to know what personality is, they need to define personality and then operationalise personality into a construct by hypothesising what it looks and sounds like. What variable/s best represent the construct of personality. Is it positive talk, is it busyness, is it smiling (or not), or what? What is it that can be measured? After conducting a robust research experiment to test their variables, they can then draw conclusions based on their results.

It's the same for wisdom. If you wanted to understand what wisdom is, then you'd need to decide (a) what is the concept we are calling wisdom, (b) what are its core factors, and (c) how can we measure those factors, and then come to some conclusion? It is not an easy task at all.

The trouble is, so far psychologists studying wisdom have come up with lots of definitions which indicates that wisdom may not be a thing easily measured. Other reasons for the lack of agreement could include the different operating hypotheses used by different psychologists, therefore they start out aiming to look for and measure different things.

So, if wisdom is not easily reduced to a thing we can measure, then what is it? That's a big question. And because I don't want to get stuck in the weeds, I'm going to suggest the following.

It's based on studying wisdom research books such as A Handbook of Wisdom by Robert J Sternberg and Jennifer Jordan. Also, research papers on wisdom looking at topics like the Neurobiology of Wisdom² (if there is such a thing), the link between Spirituality and Wisdom³ (ditto), wisdom across the lifespan⁴, and How to Measure Wisdom⁵. I'm also drawing from discussions with older wise people and what they've said when interviewed, and from my own observations, ponderings and experiences.

I think that wisdom is not a thing

I think it's a developed ability (or process) for considering and making decisions when dealing with practical matters of life and living.

That's my overall concept. What that immediately suggests is that wisdom is not a thing floating around that we need to find and capture for ourselves. Being a developed ability suggests that not everyone will necessarily develop it. And I'm suggesting that the context of wisdom - in other words, where it shows up - is often when observing or discussing situations where yourself, others, and/or external factors are involved. In other words, when looking at challenges that have arisen, a course of action to be taken, or behaviours and the results they will produce.

I suggested it's a process for thinking and deciding. Now, in any situation, you can think about what's going on, why, and how to best deal with it. But that doesn't mean you're employing any great wisdom. What makes the difference? I think it's the quality of the decision made in terms of the best possible outcome, for as many people as possible, given the specific situation, and the broader context it's all in.

So, is it wise to save 20% of all your income?

Photo by Fabian Blank on Unsplash

The automatic answer might be, of course!

However, a wise answer might be, it depends.

On what? Well, does the person have enough income to live on so that their basic needs might be met (such as housing, food, power, clothers etc) and have anything left over? Because if they did not have enough for basics, a wise person might say it would not be a good idea to try to save 20% and live on the rest because (a) that would put too much stress on necessary expenses and, (b) it's most likely not sustainable. So you could do it, but it's probably not wise.

Whereas, if someone else had enough income for basics and a reasonable amount left over, then perhaps it is wise for them to save 20% first. Because if they didn't, then one day down the line they will have little to no savings and, when they retire, they might experience significant stress from not having enough to live on.

So again, it depends on who we're talking about, where they're at, what's best short term vs longer term, their resources, context and other factors. There is no one-size-fits-all answer.

And this suggests some of the factors behind those who are seen by others as wise. Which is good news, because that gives us a lead on how we can grow more wise if that is something we value in life.

When asked, it seems certain traits pop up regularly in surveys on practical wisdom. Traits associated with being wise are people who:

• are calm

• are considered

• who have a wider perspective

• use flexible thinking

• exhibit intellectual humility

• and possess an ability to handle conflicting ideas.

Right off the bat you can see that someone who rushes into an answer, or who suggests options out of a fairly narrow view of the world, or who insists on a path of action because 'it's the right thing to do' or because of some dogmatic creed they adhere to, are unlikely to be sharing wisdom.

Even if they're wanting to help and are keen to see others flourish.

It seems certainity and wisdom don’t go well together.

I will talk more about this in subsequent posts. But in the meantime, I want to share with you the following.

I have come to believe that just because some statement, writing, person, or advice:

• is religious

• is eastern

• is dressed in a saffron coloured robe

• has unusual symbols around it

• is from India

• is written in an ancient text

• uses words like Dharma or divine

• was said by a Greek philosopher

• has incense around it

• sits next to a Buddha statue

• uses 'consciousness' or 'quantum' in its message

• is handed out with a generous serving of vegan food

• or is believed by millions...

it does not mean it's automatically or necessarily wise.

Photo by Animesh Bhattarai on Unsplash

What's wise?

Well, it depends.

More coming soon.

1. A Handbook of Wisdom - Psychological Perspectives. Edited by Robert J Stenrberg and Jennifer Jordan. Cambridge Press, 2005.

2. Neurobiology of Wisdom? A literature overview. Weeks and Veste. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2009 April ; 66(4): 355–365. doi:10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2009.8.

3. Spirituality and Wisdom. Ardelt, M., & Wingard, K. (2019). In V. L. Bengtson & M. Silverstein (Eds.), New dimensions in spirituality, religion, and aging (pp. 183-213). New York, N.Y.: Routledge.

4. An Aristotelian interpretation of practical wisdom: the case of retirees. Peter Massingham. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-019-0331-9

5. Glück, Judith, et al. "How to measure wisdom: Content, reliability, and validity of five measures." Frontiers in psychology 4 (2013): 405.