What is Wisdom? Or Being Wise!
Use your wisdom in every decision of your life – your elders may suggest this, but what is the difference between being wise and having wisdom. The simplest definition of wisdom in the dictionary is – the ability to use experience and knowledge in making decisions in life. And being wise is the knowledge or the intellect that comes from education and learning.
Speaking from a language perspective
In the English language, both the words have one more difference – Wise is an adjective, and therefore it is a quality. However, wisdom is a noun, and therefore it is a feeling or thing. But the word ‘wise’ can also become a verb or noun in different types of contextual usage.
In-depth meaning is beyond definition!
Discussing on spiritual and emotional levels, these words have a much deeper meaning. As the common saying goes – “Wisdom is Wealth”. It gives an in-depth value of the quality. You must understand that you can gain wisdom from your experiences and others’ experiences. It is different from a degree or qualification from a university or school.
Understanding “What is wisdom? Or being wise!” you must break the two terms. Wisdom is a combination of your lessons learned in life – from conventional education, good and not-so-good experiences, common sense, presence of mind, and teaching others. So, when you use your wisdom in a situation of difficulty or struggle, you are wise. Not using the teachings in testing times and losing the presence of mind with zero sensibilities is being foolish.
Practice makes perfect
You can improve by practicing wisdom – everybody makes mistakes, and wise will always learn from the mistakes. It is the accumulation of learning and experiences. When you are younger, people around you (friends and family) share their life events and how they dealt with the situation – sometimes they fail, but sometimes they celebrate the triumph.
Your intellect will help you absorb the lessons from their life incidents. You must pick the wrong actions they tried and remember not to repeat when you encounter a similar situation. And, you must pick and learn all those positive attributes that led them to victory so that you turn to triumph in your life.
The crux – a new beginning of hope
Knowing what action will have what reaction and changing your response or behavior to it accordingly, is being wise and defines our ability of using wisdom. Never judge your decisions because every person is unique – their experiences are unique – their approach to dealing with life is different.
Your intelligence is reflected in the decisions you take in your life. Whether it’s a major or a minor event or relationship, wisdom denotes your ability to process experiences and knowledge and apply both to make significant decisions in your life. All you need is to create a connection between your experience and knowledge and apply them to your life. It is a challenging part and as you take in and process it, what you gain from it is wisdom.\
Note: Also read about ethics and values as per Hindu Sanathana Dharma – Samanya Dharma, Apad Dharma, Vishesha Dharma.