Reflections on Wisdom

 Introduction 

My lectio this week has me considering wisdom and making me think about what makes one wise. In this post, I want to reflect on this. What does make one wise? Is it age? Is it knowledge, I have two Master’s degrees, am I wise or is it life experience? In this post, I will explore the nature of wisdom through personal reflection and philosophical inquiry. James 1:5 will be guiding my discussion.  

What Does It Mean to Be Wise? 

In a brief perusal using the search prompt: “What does it mean to be wise?” one will find a variety of opinions, many of which are based on psychology and philosophical concepts. Largely, you find collectively that wisdom is understood to be more than just knowledge or experience. It involves the ability to apply what you know in a thoughtful and discerning way. “Wise” individuals tend to people who often display certain traits: 

Open-mindedness: They are willing to consider diverse viewpoints. 

Intellectual Humility: They recognize the limits of their knowledge. 

Perspective Taking: They can view situations from multiple angles. 

Guidance from Scripture: James 1:5 

It is felt that we must come before God to open our hearts and settle our minds when we are looking for guidance. Our anchor scripture encourages anyone who lacks wisdom to ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to them. It highlights the accessibility and generosity of divine wisdom, emphasizing that God is willing to provide guidance to those who sincerely seek it. Understanding that God is providential, we are guided then to ask God for wisdom and the important part then is to get out of our way, suspend our egos and let God and the Holy Spirit to guide us.  

Digging deeper, we find in this passage from James guidance that divine wisdom is not earned through human effort alone but is a gift granted through prayerful request and humble dependence on God. It underscores the importance of recognizing our limitations and turning to a higher source for insight, especially when faced with complex decisions or challenges.  

To contrast human wisdom, which is fallible and subjective to divine wisdom, we find in James that human wisdom is often shaped by experience, education, and personal reflection, and can be limited by bias or incomplete understanding. In contrast, divine wisdom is characterized by its purity, impartiality, and ultimate truth, offering guidance that transcends human reasoning. While human wisdom helps us navigate daily life, divine wisdom provides a deeper, spiritual perspective that leads to true discernment and understanding. 

Philosophical Perspectives on Wisdom 

I was talking with my students this week about Rationalism and Empiricism and why these philosophies are important today. I have taught this course for four years now and we always address the idea of what would happen if we brought these philosophies back to the public school. Unanimously, the students remark that it would make the world a better place. These philosophies shape critical thinking by challenging us to question, assumptions, evaluate evidence, and reason logically about the world around us. In this particular two weeks, I demonstrate to the students how truth can be subjective. By pointing to Rationalism, I show how it emphasizes the use of reason and logical analysis to arrive at truth, while empiricism stresses the importance of observation and experience in forming beliefs. Together, they foster a balanced approach to learning and problem-solving, enabling people to consider multiple perspectives and make well-informed decisions. 

Wisdom in Society Today 

What is wrong with the world today? This is a question that I posited in a recent post. Here, I talked about we have a significant problem with the way we are relating to people in our American Christian tradition. We have let the sin of pride and self-indulgence infect our way of being. We stand on the side of the executioner and in an attitude of perceived love, we hold people responsibility for calamities that we created when we disabled systems of support, love and compassion. Leading all of this is an individualistic and rigid way of thinking that promotes a lack of critical thinking. I have also written on the loss of mentors and in particular a misunderstanding of what it means to be an elder in a society.  I recently heard that eldership is earned and just because you are elderly, you are not an elder.  

To be wise is to understand the importance of integrating philosophical approaches for social well-being. When we draw on the different traditions discussed here, when we let go of our egos and with an open mind embracing empirical and rational analysis, we contribute to a more wholistic perspective of the matters before us. We can make better informed decisions, and we journey down the road towards true wisdom. True wisdom invites us to remain open-minded, embrace humility, and actively seek guidance—be it through education, lived experience, or divine counsel—so that our actions promote justice, compassion, and unity in society. 

Conclusion 

In conclusion, this discussion does not represent an exhaustive examination of the concept of wisdom. Numerous philosophical perspectives, such as those encountered in my Introduction to Philosophy course—including epistemology and existentialism—offer diverse approaches to understanding how knowledge is acquired and interpreted. It can be observed that the pursuit of wisdom is an ongoing process. Individuals cultivate wisdom throughout their lives by seeking knowledge through experience, education, and spiritual guidance.