What is wisdom?

Is it about being smart? Being kind? Being compassionate? Being knowledgeable? Being prescient? Being divine?

Or, is wisdom about knowing when we don’t know? Or, maybe, is wisdom about when we don’t know, we can still have the right judgement and faith?

Who can be said to be wise? Hmmm… It appears a person cannot self-claim to be wise. “Being wise” appears to be a label given by the people who live around a wise person.

Wisdom literature can be found from the East to the West. Wise people can be identified in history and now.

When we study them, however, observers start to disagree. “Your culture values X.” “My people appreciate Y.” It appears to me that people cannot easily and universally agree on what wisdom is, who wise people are.

Let me propose something.

I came to this idea: We should first define wisdom according to end goals. What are people ultimately trying to achieve there?

Perhaps, there are two types of end goals: 1) to survive, or 2) to transcend.

To survive is “to not die.” In many cultures, such as those of certain Native American tribes like Navajo, wisdom teachings are passed down, commonly, through cautionary tales in spoken form. The discussion of the topic of death is frequently avoided. It is about survival in nature and survival among other tribes, both of which can be unpredictable. It is about not dying. Wise leaders anticipate danger. Cautionary tales teach us how to be wise. Therefore, knowing how “not to die” is “wise.”

To transcend is “to die better.” In many cultures, such as Christian ones, the idea that death is a transition not an end is shared widely. It is about seeking final judgement and reward. Instead of being a taboo, the topic of death is commonly discussed in settings such as church services, via tangible items such as art works. Wise leaders demonstrate how to live a life so as to receive eternal reward. Therefore, knowing how “to die better” is “wise.”

The polarity between these two orientations is so great that it leads to drastically different behaviors and outlooks across cultures. There are many examples. For one: In some cultures, it is considered wise to lie in a business negotiation, in order to gain an advantage; if one does not lie, he is considered stupid and unwise—while, in some other cultures, “lying in business negotiations” is condemned as unwise, dishonorable, and immoral.

Perhaps, this distinction between “to survive” and “to transcend” is the key to understanding why people cannot agree on what wisdom is!

Which side do you lean?

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