NationStates Jolt Archive

It is thought by many that the old are wiser than the young. Thus, experience would seem to be the deciding factor in determining how wise someone is. However, not all of the old are wise, and not all the young are unwise. Therefore, the question becomes, what sort of experience makes a person wise?

Alternatively, is this entire train of thought wrong? It has been argued that wisdom is entirely determined by intelligence (or some other factor) that is biologically determined. In this scenario, a person would gain wisdom simply through the act of aging, but would not become wise without the biological factor.

I believe that one of the most important things required to become wise is contact with someone who is already wise. However, this cannot be true in all cases, for then the first wise man would have no direct cause. Therefore, while this may have some role, it is clearly not required. Another experience frequently cited as the source of wisdom is a difficult childhood, or some other such struggle against incredible odds. In this instance, it would seem that wisdom is a sink or swim proposition--either one gains wisdom and survives, or does not gain wisdom and fails. But again, this cannot always be true because there are plenty of people who are not wise, had a difficult life, and yet survive.

So how does one become wise?

Forrest Gump wasnt a smart man but he was wise.

Wisdom can be gained through experience alright - but not just because one has enoyed the opportunity to experience many things. A person gains wisdom by learning from whatever they do, wherever they are and why. Some people have been all around the world, seen a lot, been a lot, done a lot, aged a lot... but that does not mean they are made any wiser for it.

On the other hand, some people have not been many places at all, been many things, seen many things, or had the time to age - but they can posess an infinite wisdom.

Its relative, and people are wise in different ways, but I do not attribute wisdom to age or distinctly by experience at all.

Age is not a synonym for wisdom. ;)

It is thought by many that the old are wiser than the young. Thus, experience would seem to be the deciding factor in determining how wise someone is. However, not all of the old are wise, and not all the young are unwise. Therefore, the question becomes, what sort of experience makes a person wise?

Alternatively, is this entire train of thought wrong? It has been argued that wisdom is entirely determined by intelligence (or some other factor) that is biologically determined. In this scenario, a person would gain wisdom simply through the act of aging, but would not become wise without the biological factor.

I believe that one of the most important things required to become wise is contact with someone who is already wise. However, this cannot be true in all cases, for then the first wise man would have no direct cause. Therefore, while this may have some role, it is clearly not required. Another experience frequently cited as the source of wisdom is a difficult childhood, or some other such struggle against incredible odds. In this instance, it would seem that wisdom is a sink or swim proposition--either one gains wisdom and survives, or does not gain wisdom and fails. But again, this cannot always be true because there are plenty of people who are not wise, had a difficult life, and yet survive.

So how does one become wise?
There are different sorts of wisdom. To become wise, all of them should be experienced as much as possible.

Wisdom of Experience: This is the one attributed to many older people, but you are correct, age does not necessarily equate to wisdom.

Wisdom of Training: Really good training in a variety of fields can impart some wisdom.

Wisdom of Inheritance: Some people seem to have inherited a tendency to be wise, both intellectually and emotionally.

Emotional Wisdom: Human beings are emotional creatures. Insight and understanding of emotions is a type of wisdom.

wisdom" . . .knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgement as to action . . . ; common sense; . . ." - The American College Dictionary

It's difficult to say how one becomes wise because it certainly isn't related to age. I've seen as many unwise behaviors in older people as I've seen in younger. Reading a lot helps because it allows one to experience what happens to others if they behave in certain ways, but again, simply reading doesn't always do the trick. It's probably a combination of emotional insight and ability to learn from experience either of oneself or the experiences of others coupled with a strong sense of self-respect.

here's some wizdom... about wizdom ;)


The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently.
~ Friedrich Nietzsche

Just becasue a person is old doesn't make them wise. Some people are just old and have consistenly refused to look around and do anything that would make them gain wisdom.

If you have to ask, you'll never know.

Wisdom can be gained through experience alright - but not just because one has enoyed the opportunity to experience many things. A person gains wisdom by learning from whatever they do, wherever they are and why. Some people have been all around the world, seen a lot, been a lot, done a lot, aged a lot... but that does not mean they are made any wiser for it.

On the other hand, some people have not been many places at all, been many things, seen many things, or had the time to age - but they can posess an infinite wisdom.

Its relative, and people are wise in different ways, but I do not attribute wisdom to age or distinctly by experience at all.

Age is not a synonym for wisdom. ;)

Wow. Got saved a whole lotta typing. How old are you again, Lasciv? I thought you were younger than me.
;)

Some people are right more often that not by guessing. It's just the balance of probablities. Eventually those people get called 'wise'. In other words they become our lucky pennies.

About most things, all of us are equally ignorant; including the old.

Some people are right more often that not by guessing. It's just the balance of probablities. Eventually those people get called 'wise'. In other words they become our lucky pennies.

I've always said that that's the basis of our economic system.

I think there are two factors involved in people becoming wiser as they get older.

The obvious one is the opportunity to acquire experience from which to draw upon. A good clue to recognizing an old person who hasn't drawn upon much experience is one who says proudly that he has never left his hometown.

Another one is the fact that all mammals have a built in tendency to become closed minded as they get out of adolesence. That's why every generation thinks that "the music that kids listen to these days is just trash."

I don't think we've ever come up with a way of telling which opinions old people have because they're experienced and which they hold because they're closed minded. Once we do we'll be well on our way to figuring out what wisdom is.

Some people are right more often that not by guessing. It's just the balance of probablities. Eventually those people get called 'wise'. In other words they become our lucky pennies.

About most things, all of us are equally ignorant; including the old.
Wow. Managed to be both trite, and myopic.

Wow. Managed to be both trite, and myopic.

I am myopic.