Section audio
Exercises
Wisdom in our lives.
- Consider someone you feel is wise. On a computer or with paper and pen, write down why you feel they are wise. Be thorough in your answer. Is there a specific example where they exhibited their wisdom? If so, what was it about that situation that made it difficult? What did that person do in that situation that led you to feel they were acting wisely?
- Consider a situation in your life that you feel requires wisdom. This situation could, for example, include choosing a major in university or a career. It could be a severe problem at work or deciding how to discipline your child when they misbehave–any situation you feel requires wisdom. On a computer or with paper and pen, describe the situation. Then, discuss why you think wisdom is needed to resolve that situation. What are the characteristics of the situation that make it hard to solve?
Hold onto these notes. We’ll return to them later.
Is a politician who votes to turn undeveloped parkland into a condominium development a wise leader or a destructive fool? Your answer to that may depend on several factors, including the situation, your attitudes, and your culture.
Regarding the situation, your assessment of the politician may depend on several factors. Your view may differ if the undeveloped park is a haven for coyotes that attack pets and small children versus a tranquil hiking area for nearby residents.
Your attitude also influences your judgment. Your view of the politician’s actions will differ if you believe, for example, that creating homes for people is more critical than preserving nature.
The culture in which you live will influence your attitudes. If your culture’s beliefs and values honour the sanctity of nature above commercial development, that may seep into your views, affecting your judgment of the politician.
The actions we define as wise depend on our understanding of the social context in which the action happens and personal and cultural perspectives.[1] [2] Different people may perceive the situation differently. Their values and beliefs may differ from one another. They may come from different cultures with different attitudes. Thus, though you may judge the politician a dangerous fool, another person may see them as the wisest of leaders.
If perceptions of wisdom differ from one person to the next, can we truly know what wisdom is? If there is no unifying perception of what is wise, how can we develop wisdom?
Though opinions of wisdom may vary, there are unifying structures that we can understand. Though various thinkers and cultures may categorize them differently, this textbook presents these unifying structures as follows.[3]
- Values: Values guide wise action
- Rationality: Knowledge is required but insufficient for wise action
- Power: Wisdom is action-oriented
Values guide wise action. Values define the ends we believe are worth achieving, and the means we feel are appropriate to achieve those ends.[4] Generally, the