Got Wisdom?

            Though the English language only has a few vestiges of gender left in its lexicon, most languages spoken today still use gender as an effective way to communicate the undercurrent of a word’s meaning. For the last several days, I’ve been thinking about the word “wisdom” and what it means to be wise. I think I have grown wiser over the years, especially as I close in on 40, but I know I have so much more to learn and experience before I would consider myself wise. And if our hero Socrates is any model for this, we would do ourselves a service by even doubting what wisdom we claim to have.

            The Greek word for wisdom that is at the root of the word philosophy is Sophia. It’s interesting to me that the word is feminine because it intimates tenderness, a supple nature that is yielding when it needs to be and firm only when absolutely necessary (like all good mothers are). More importantly, this reveals what I think the heart of wisdom is—our collected experiences being brought to bear on a particular situation in a particular moment. Wisdom does not have a one-size-fits-all solution to any challenge; instead, it is a skill that is honed over time if we are willing to learn from our failures and mistakes as human beings.

            Part of what brought on this reflection during the last few days is due to the book I am reading, Practical Wisdom: The Right Way to Do the Right Thing by Barry Schwartz and Kenneth Sharpe. They make a clear case for the need for cultivating wisdom in everyday living, especially in a society that prizes rules and incentives—two forces that essentially erode that wisdom (or at least its application). What’s most important about this book, though, is that the authors illustrate time and again how wisdom is not only necessary but universal. It is a skill that can be developed just like any other and, most notably, does not require super-human intelligence to be wielded.

            What is wisdom to you? How would you define it? Do you consider yourself a wise person? Why or why not? If so, how did you become so? Are there better ways of cultivating it than others? If not, why do you feel that is? Surely you must have some wisdom about some aspect of life, correct? How can we all encourage the use of wisdom in our daily living and the lives of others?

P.S. - If you love TED Talks as much as I do, check out Barry Schwartz's lament on the loss of wisdom in our society. It's quite good and full of useful anecdotes that demonstrate that anyone can be a wise person. I'm about halfway through the book, which is chock full of even more of these types of examples.

 

Oh, Wobbly Words...

            Language can be messy. Sometimes we can’t find the perfect word to describe what we think and/or feel; other times the right word in our primary language just isn’t nuanced enough to explain what we mean. But we must be as careful as possible when we are engaged in philosophical dialogue so that each member of the discussion is on the same page, so to speak.

           

            I was thinking about this today because of a conversation that began in the “Rainy Day Exam Blues Hiatus” post. We were talking about happiness and how it can mean two different though equally important ideas: 1) the momentary experience of joy that arrives suddenly and is fleeting; 2) and our overall well-being or life satisfaction. As you can see, English can be frustratingly ambiguous. In the context of this discussion, I mentioned the ancient Greek notion of eudaimonia, which I am sure will get its own post in the near future. And, considering my interlocutor is a former student who studies Japanese, another word popped into my head—kaizen.

            Ever since the end of World War II, Japan has been kaizen crazy. Originally meant as a term to be applied in manufacturing and business, the word has expanded to include broader applications. It, too, suffers from the same fate as happiness in English because though the word literally means “good change” it is often translated as “continuous improvement.” This is noteworthy because it is an idea often discussed in philosophy circles, whether working toward the Golden Mean of Aristotle or trying to evolve into the Übermensch of Nietzsche. Part of living well requires us to continually refine ourselves as part of our search for wisdom.

            How do you accomplish this in your life? Do you see yourself as a work in progress, constantly trying to get better in all aspects of life? What can we do to make improvements in our lives? Can we improve physically (health)? Can we improve mentally (intelligence)? Can we improve spiritually (wisdom)? Is it worth trying to improve, or should we not strive so much? What are your thoughts on this?