Knowledge to Wisdom

At what point does knowledge become wisdom?

What separates knowledge from wisdom?

Knowledge vs. Wisdom

Knowledge is captured information. It is the record that an event has occurred.

Oxford Dictionary defines knowledge as:

"The information, understanding, and skills that you gain through education or experience"

While defining wisdom as:

"The ability to make sensible decisions and give good advice because of the experience and knowledge that you have" and "The knowledge that a society or culture has gained over a long period of time".

While this difference may seem semantic, the definitions above hold the key distinguishing mark between knowledge and wisdom: time.

Knowledge + Time = Wisdom

Knowledge happens in time.

Wisdom accrues through time.

Wisdom requires duration to take effect. It is built on the relational narrative that ties the past, through the present and into the future.

When a society loses its relation and respect for time, the wisdom of that society decreases.

They begin to look at each event they face as a unique occurrence that requires a virginal touch instead of utilizing insight from past lessons to help them identify and solve problems.

As the technological sophistication of that society progresses, they will have the fidelity to observe an increasing amount of phenomena, increasing the overall level of knowledge, but, due to their lessened relation to time as a narrative construct, a decrease in wisdom.

By moving through events too fast or not taking the time to reflect upon the events happening around us we lose the ability to transition the knowledge we are exposed to into wisdom we can act upon.

Wisdom is a synthesis of knowledge into frameworks that can be used.

There is a balancing act attached to this thinking

General heuristics should not be lain erroneously onto a unique problem.

But using the heuristic as a starting point that needs to be adapted to solve best the challenge you are facing is a time-saver.

Note: When using heuristics or other previously developed mental models, always keep these two questions in mind:

1. What was the result of using this framework in the past? (Who did it help? Who did it hurt? What factors did it cause to change?)

2. What is different about this particular present scenario? (The differences in scenarios are more significant than the similarities.)

You should always attribute and utilize any fixed mental framework with healthy skepticism.

It is to support your thinking, not to dictate your thoughts.

Mental laziness is how poorly constructed ideas get carried out into the future. i.e. "We do it this way because we have always done it this way."

The duration, observation, and reflection wisdom need help to eliminate poorly constructed ideas.

Wisdom is Essential

Wisdom must be self-correcting, ever converging towards the truth. By revisiting and observing the effects of your decisions you can determine if your previous actions are wise.

Humans are time-bound. We do not have clairvoyance and must make choices based on our present knowledge.

My encouragement is that we don't solely rely on our present knowledge to make informed decisions. Look to the past to see what was done and the results.

See what wisdom bears fruit through time. Lastly, carry this practice into the future and evaluate the results of your choices.

Through this practice, you can go from a knowledgeable person to a wise person.

The keys to turning a knowledgeable society into a wise one are to slow them down and to have them reflect more. Not to promote nostalgia but to better understand how their choices affect the future.

In Mastery,

Matthew

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