Wisdom

As a child I learned to pray for wisdom, probably from hearing that “God is the beginning of wisdom” or that “wisdom is more valuable than gold.” Wisdom has long been valued by society, but there hasn’t been much analysis of what it is or where it comes from. Often wisdom was simply associated with age. More recently there has been interest in studying wisdom. One researcher finds that wisdom is associated with five methods: “challenging beliefs; prompt the articulation of values; encourage self-development; encourage self-reflection; and groom the moral emotions – facilitated by the reading of narrative or didactic texts and fostering a community of inquiry.” With this focus on methods, it becomes easier to see that wisdom is a process, a way of approaching a problem or a situation. Building on this insight helps us recognize that acquiring wisdom can be facilitated by learning skills. The Center for Practical Wisdom at the University of Chicago has been working in this area and has made a short film that shows how teaching skills and focusing on methods of knowing and acting can promote wise action in communities. To view their film click this link. https://wisdomcenter.uchicago.edu/news/wisdom-news/turmoil-unrest-wise-decision-making-science-wisdom-film-released-public-viewing

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *