Over the years I have enjoyed conversations about wisdom and
what it means to us. I am delighted to see the author of Brain – Cognitive Function and Wisdom place a spotlight on this
topic. Wisdom is not something we can regurgitate and conceptualize – wisdom is
within us, it is the way we think about our life. It guides our choices. I
would also say that our lived experience of wisdom informs our values.
I really connect with this synopsis of what wisdom is. It
seems that each researcher has a perspective that is true in regards to wisdom.
When I think of wisdom I think of multi-faceted, multi-dimensional, experiential
knowing that comes from experience and insights. These insights and experiences,
combined with our predisposition and personality, are factors in a person being
“wise” and conveying wisdom.
Wisdom is both practical, but it is also paradoxical and
perhaps otherworldly at times. I think Tisdell’s perspective on wisdom speaks
to me the most because she posits that wisdom “is about embracing paradox and
dialectics that potentially pulls up open to something new- and to our very
creativity…” Our society seems to value concreteness and rational perspectives
and so I wonder if Tisdell’s perspective on wisdom might be a bit “ethereal”
for some and difficult to grasp. This
might be because our modern world does not allow for such contemplations that
help us tap into more “non-rational” experience. To refer to a previous chapter
(Body and Spirit), I think wisdom is supported and expanded through exploring
other avenues that expand our awareness deeper into ourselves, and back out in
to the greater world we live in (i.e., people, places, the greater environment).
Merriam, S. B., & Bierema, L.L. (2014). Adult
learning: Linking theory and practice. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
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