The Pursuit of Wisdom
Posted on 13. Oct, 2009 by Linda Lord in Articles, Blog
As business owners or career employees we all have a tremendous amount of information thrown at us each day. It is then our job to determine what is worth using and what may be discarded without remorse. That can be a very time consuming process. And many people do not have, or take, the time to thoughfully consider the quality of the information that they have access to.
Yet, if we want to move past the simple accumulation of data to the practical application we must pursue wisdom. Wisdom has been defined as “Â knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action; sagacity, discernment, or insight. It is an ideal that has been celebrated since antiquity as the application of knowledge needed to live a good life. Beyond simply knowing/understanding what options are available, “Wisdom” provides the ability to differentiate between them and choose the one that is best. What this means exactly depends on the various wisdom schools and traditions claiming to help foster it. In general, these schools have emphasized various combinations of the following: knowledge, understanding, experience, discipline, discretion, and intuitive understanding, along with a capacity to apply these qualities well towards finding solutions to problems. In many traditions, the terms wisdom and intelligence have somewhat overlapping meanings; in others they are arranged hierarchically, with intelligence being necessary but not sufficient for wisdom.
According to Rice (1958) two wisdom traditions can be identified in the Renaissance: Contemplative and prudential. Contemplative traditions, such as monastic traditions, emphasized meditation on one’s own experience as a pathway to the divine: Augustine of Hippo was an early and influential figure in the Christian lineage of this tradition. The status of wisdom or prudence as a virtue is recognized in cultural, philosophical and religious sources as the judicious and purposeful application of knowledge that is valued in society. Charron (1601) was an influential Renaissance proponent of this wisdom tradition.” (Source: www.wikipedia.org)
“Science investigates; religion interprets. Science gives man knowledge which is power; religion gives man wisdom which is control.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Monika Ardelt, Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Florida has created a model of wisdom which dpends up the cognitive, reflective, and affective dimensions of the human experience. For more information on her definitions and operationalizations please visit: www.wisdompage.com/Ardelt01.html.
Too often we settle for the acquisition of knowledge without the critcal element of application of what we know to enhance our experience. Pursue wisdom, too.
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