Wisdom (1 Viewer)

[moll.]

I was in the shower a few minutes ago, and I started to wonder:
Exactly how does one define wisdom? And more importantly, how do you obtain it? Is it even measurable? Or is it perhaps only a state of mind? Can someone even call themsleves wise, or is it up to a third party to make such a judgement?

Personally, I think wisdom means that one is able to view everything objectively, without bias. One is able to see the pros and cons of things both material and non-tangible and to not let personal opinion cloud judgement.

 

[SAVAK]

lol, what a topic to think of in the shower.

 

[KFunk]

I do my best thinking in the shower.

I've generally viewed wisdom as being a matter of good judgement, insight and experience. I think you can deem a person to be wise without them having to be entirely impersonal in their reasoning.

 

[katie tully]

Experience.

 

[incentivation]

Agree with experience. However that experience must have opened up the mind of the individual. I also believe, as mentioned, objectivity is a feature of wisdom.

 

[moll.]

Robert Mugabe's very experienced for an 85 year-old. Would you count him as wise?
Ditto for Saddam Hussein, the Ayatollah and Hugo Chavez.

 

[SashatheMan]

I consider someone wise who has critical thinking skills, experience in the world, and a long white beard.

 

[katie tully]

Robert Mugabe's very experienced for an 85 year-old. Would you count him as wise?
Ditto for Saddam Hussein, the Ayatollah and Hugo Chavez.

Depends, are you likening wisdom to intelligence?

I don't think they have to be mutually inclusive. What do you think Mugabe is experienced at?

 

[Riet]

He seems to be pretty wise when it comes to keeping himself in power.

 

[katie tully]

And I'm sure the fact that he is a tyrant, genocidal maniac doesn't mean he isn't an extremely intelligent man. He's probably very wise. He's also insane.

 

[SashatheMan]

Depends, are you likening wisdom to intelligence?

I don't think they have to be mutually inclusive. What do you think Mugabe is experienced at?

I think he was knighted by the Queen at one point but then went crazy so that was retracked. I read a bit about him in a Time article, and apprently he was actually praised a lot what he did for the country.

 

[moll.]

Depends, are you likening wisdom to intelligence?

I don't think they have to be mutually inclusive. What do you think Mugabe is experienced at?

I view them as seperate.
I really think we need a defintion of wisdom to work off here.

 

[moll.]

He seems to be pretty wise when it comes to keeping himself in power.

See, that i would view as intelligence, not wisdom.

 

[katie tully]

Well Moll, even if we say they go hand in hand, Mugabe was a bad example. He's nuts, yes, but I don't doubt that he's probably very intelligent.

 

[trickx]

Fucking Yoda mannnnn~!!!

 

[moll.]

Well Moll, even if we say they go hand in hand, Mugabe was a bad example. He's nuts, yes, but I don't doubt that he's probably very intelligent.

That was my point. Also, what kind of experience did you originally mean? I was just going with elderly men who have life experience but who are obviously not wise.

 

[katie tully]

That was my point. Also, what kind of experience did you originally mean? I was just going with elderly men who have life experience but who are obviously not wise.

Why doesn't life experience count towards wisdom?

 

[moll.]

Because Mugabe, Hussein and the Ayatollah all have life experience.

 

[katie tully]

Do people who grow from their mistakes not gain wisdom? Does it not make them wiser?

I can't help but think you're trying to link wisdom with spirituality or something, idk.

 

[katie tully]

Because Mugabe, Hussein and the Ayatollah all have life experience.

Stolen from Wikipedia, I know, but if we compare Mugabe to the following, I think you'll find he meets all the criterion.

A wise person can discern the core of important problems.
A wise person has self-knowledge.
A wise person seems sincere and direct with others.
Others ask wise people for advice.
A wise person's actions are consistent with his/her ethical beliefs.

I'm sure he has all of the above, it's just that his perception of right/wrong is skewed/different to ours, and he's just slightly... nuts.