The first thing that springs to mind when I define wisdom, is the educated use of knowledge – that is to say, applying what we have learned over our lifetimes from our own and others’ experiences, and acknowledging that mistakes, some of which can affect our entire lives, can easily be made if we do not apply wisdom to the decisions we make throughout life. Wisdom involves a process made up of three parts: experience, knowledge, and wisdom. It is a personal quality, and a type of experience-driven emotional and cognitive development that is uniquely human. Taking a wrong decision in a moment of haste caused by not thinking it through can result in serious consequences, and when I was younger, many of my own hasty misjudgments were caused by not applying an educated use of knowledge because I did not give enough thought to my decisions and their possible repercussions, or because I did not have sufficient practical knowledge on the matter at hand, and therefore, could not apply wisdom. I believe that for many people, wisdom can be learned, and that it usually grows with age. It may even be measured; so often we hear the expression “he is a very wise man,” and so on.

Personally, I am glad to say that time has shown me the tremendous benefits of applying wisdom and acting wisely. Wisdom is the power to accomplish an optimal end and to utilize the optimum means at the most appropriate time. Applying wisdom is not simply knowing what to do, it is also about taking wise action, that is to say, deciding to go ahead with a particular action. Furthermore, while having knowledge and information is highly beneficial, being mindful of the present circumstances and the practical and skillful application of applying it by using discretion and sound judgment, can be deemed as wisdom of both thought and action. We often achieve wisdom from what we have learned in life, and when we are mindful of the potential errors that we can make in our daily living, it can empower us with self confidence and significantly reduce the size of our learning curve.

Wisdom is being mindful of our resources and limits, and not trying to do or attain something that could potentially have a negative result. It is a form of intelligence that allows us to have perceptive and accurate insights regarding the way things work and the way people behave. Generally speaking, we have attained this insight from life experiences rather than from academic study, although some self help books which talk about the pitfalls of life, and poor life choices, may be of benefit. The act of wisdom empowers people to be cleaver regarding what they do and do not do. Wisdom makes people less vulnerable to those who are not trustworthy, and gives them intuition which they trust to interpret the good or bad motives and intentions of others, as well as the ability to comprehend particular situations.