An Exploration Into What It Means To Be Wise

Ideas to close the space between who we are and who we strive to be.

Wisdom takes a multitude of forms. And as the ancient philosopher Socrates wisely said, “What do I know? All I know is that I don’t know.” Indeed, profound words truly the more we know, the more we realize that we still don’t.

How can we live wiser in our inner worlds while also aspiring to pass that knowledge on to the collective?

Many would say that knowledge only becomes wisdom when it changes the recipient so wholly that their entire approach to life shifts around it. What was once a private endeavor becomes important when interacting with others for the good of humanity.

It requires that curiosity of spirit, the divine spark that gently pushes us forward, whispering, “There is more. Your wise soul is as old as the hills, so remember. Sit quietly and listen to the song of time as it dances across your cheeks, as the trees wave their branches across the sky, and remember your innate wisdom.”

What do you need to remember? And what can each of us do to become wiser?

First, we must be willing to seek and observe ourselves in all of our humanly imperfections and goodness. Because at its core, wisdom encompasses a deep understanding of all beings, how we are connected, and how we value our short time on earth.

From there, we can begin to shift our internal inquiries to the issues of love, ethics, happiness, and purpose, questions that humans have pondered since the dawn of time.

Wisdom, and our capacity for knowledge, is a hunger that can never be satiated because there is always more to learn and more to create. But it also offers a liberating sense of psychological, emotional, and spiritual authenticity while steadily shutting the door on our past and opening a figurative (or literal) door to the future.

Essentially wisdom helps us to close the space between who we are and who we want to be.

The Research:

Wisdom has been defined differently across ages in different religions and philosophies. Recent research focuses on assessing wisdom. Researchers have discovered that wisdom can be measured just like other psychological parameters such as resilience, happiness, and stress.

A study from the Harvard Review of Psychiatry suggests that wiseness promotes and contributes directly to psychological wellbeing and happiness. The research examined wisdom and its implications to mental health, discovering that wisdom has a neurobiological basis and affects mainly the prefrontal cortex and the limbic striatum. Specifically, the brain's parts that influence executive decision making, emotion regulation, self-examination, recognition of uncertainty, and spirituality.

All research on wiseness has found that “wisdom is linked to better overall health, well-being, happiness, life satisfaction, and resilience.”

Quotes to Inspire a Wellspring of Wisdom:

On the power of the mind:

“A man (or person) is what he thinks about all day long. “— Ralph Waldo Emerson

A wise person controls and observes their thoughts without judgment, figuring out how to shift or make them work for their betterment.

Exploring authenticity:

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment. “— Ralph Waldo Emerson

Being true to yourself is one of the greatest pursuits because it allows us to live in an authentic and fulfilling way continually.

On the importance of questioning:

“We seldom realize, for example, that our most private thoughts and emotions are not actually our own. For we think in terms of languages and images which we did not invent, but which were given to us by our society.” — Alan Watts

Wisdom knows that our environment has shaped us to seek certain things (such as wealth or prestige) that can make life temporarily easier. But true fulfillment arrives in the form of knowing that we already have everything that we need.

Exploring the nature of change:

“I think that the glorious thing about the human race is that it does change the world — constantly.” — Lorraine Hansberry

Each soul that lives on earth leaves it forever altered — immeasurably. Those ripples of change can be felt long after this century has passed.

What will be your lasting legacy?

Investigating the emotions associated with growth:

“Discomfort is always a necessary part of enlightenment.”—Pearl Cleage

Getting out of our comfort zone leads to wonderful realizations, increased insight, and other perennial life shifts. It’s challenging (but not impossible) to become enlightened without a modicum of discomfort to propel us forward or in a different direction.

On the proximity of hope and fear:

“What you hope for, you also fear. ”—Alice Walker

When we hope for wisdom, yearn for change, and seek out knowledge, an element of fear can lurk in the shadows. We wonder, what if I find out something that I don’t like? What if life changes irreparably? What if it doesn’t?Take your chance while knowing that fear can be a healthy barometer of our own mortality and fine in small doses. Just don’t let it run the show.

Exploring the nature of wisdom:

“I am all the ages I’ve ever been.” — Anne Lamott

Regardless of our chronological age, each stage offers up glimpses of wisdom to guide us forward. Because we were once children, we carry that inner child with us, and like all other stages of life, an imprint is left on our soul. The key is to harmonize all ages while accepting where we currently are.

Wisdom is a force that permeates everything and yet remains essentially mysterious; it’s something that we may not understand but to which we can continue to aspire simply by living.

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