What is Wisdom?
Posted on January 05, 2022 by Ernest Lissabet, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.
What does it mean to be wise? This article explores the obvious and not-so-obvious ways in which wisdom manifests itself in our lives.
According to the dictionary, the word ‘Wisdom’ signifies “the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the quality of being wise.’’ Synonyms for wisdom include words like sagacity, intelligence, understanding, insight, perception, and discernment. When most people talk about the concept of wisdom or use the word in casual conversation, these are the associations that are most often meant by the speaker.
However, from my perspective, these common understandings of what wisdom means, are incomplete and display an imperfect understanding of the word. In eastern cultures, for example, the concept of wisdom (or ‘prajna’) is much more extensive, carrying specific connotations not typically found in an English-language dictionary, or even synonyms. The word prajna itself is suggestive of this deeper understanding: ‘Pra’ signifies highest or supreme, and ‘jna’ signifies consciousness, knowledge or understanding. Thus, prajna (Pali: panna) may be translated, “highest consciousness” or perhaps “supreme knowledge.” Pali scholars T. W. Rhys Davids and William Stede call it “intellect as conversant with general truths.”
What, then, are the “general truths” that the concept of prajna refers to? One truth refers to the universal impermanence of everything, which is easily observed in the physical world. Everything in the observable world is a temporary construct. Everything is transient: buildings, roads, trees, the landscape around us, the products we manufacture, even our very bodies, are all subject to decay; and every building ever built by human hands, is destined for decay and dissolution. If a house is left unattended without homeowner maintenance, how long will it take for creeping vines to crack the foundation and begin the destruction of the house? Even the mighty pyramids of Egypt, will one day be reduced to little mounds of dirt by the action of wind and blowing sand. It is only a matter of time. There is not one composite thing in this world that will last forever.
Another “general truth” associated with a deeper understanding of prajna or wisdom, is the deep association in eastern cultures of the concept of prajna with compassion, or karuna. The concept of wisdom without compassion, is no wisdom at all, for without the exercise of compassion, the other qualities associated with wisdom, such as experience, judgement and knowledge, can and often do transmute into self-interested ruthlessness.
A third truth associated with prajna, is the concept of patience (kshanti). If compassion is a necessary corollary to authentic wisdom, then patience is a necessary corollary for compassion.
For example, when a person becomes impatient with the elderly because they are moving slowly (“hurry up, grandma!”)—can that impatience be called compassion? This is just one example.
Thus— Can a person who fails to grasp the self-evident impermanence of everything, be called a wise person?
Can a person who does not cultivate compassion, be called a wise person?
Can a person who is impatient, be called a wise person?
There are other qualities associated with the concept of wisdom, which are likewise often overlooked, such as ethical behavior, because no person who is unethical in their business or personal dealings, can really be considered wise. These are people who are manufacturing their own ruin, thus unethical behavior is always deeply unwise. To belabor the point even further: what about open falsehoods? Can a person who routinely traffics in lies and falsehoods, be regarded as a wise person? I think most people would agree that such people cannot be regarded as wise.
Thus, on examination, it seems that the concept of wisdom is actually far more complex than the simple dictionary definition above.
Wisdom Communications is committed to the mission of promoting the various qualities associated with authentic wisdom. Our professional coaching practice—whether working with teachers, students, business executives, or everyday people— is rooted in the cultivation of wisdom. When you work with Wisdom Communications, we are not just trying to resolve immediate issues, problems and concerns in our lives, but also layering the cultivation of wisdom onto our discussions, introspectively examining our own perspectives for greater understanding.
Our practice is to help our clients achieve outstanding results in their lives, through the application of the co-active coaching methodology and the deliberate cultivation of wisdom. We offer greater success and less discontent for our clients. Contact us today to see how we can help you.
