HOW TO OBTAIN WISDOM

[Tito Philips, Jnr.]

Wisdom is the application of knowledge and experience to a particular situation in order to make sound decisions. It is how we apply our knowledge (what we know) and experience (what we have been through) to what we do (action), how we think (perception) and how we evaluate (judge). Wisdom basically means application of what we have learnt. It is the doing part of learning. Wisdom therefore, comes from doing (application). Without carrying out what we have learnt, one cannot obtain wisdom. You can’t read wisdom; you can’t memorize wisdom; you can’t recite wisdom; you can’t learn wisdom; you can only obtain wisdom through application (doing) of what you have read, memorized, learnt or recited. It is only by doing that one can obtain wisdom. Wisdom cannot be gotten through inaction (idleness); wisdom must be put to use (applied) before it can be activated or acquired.

What you must understand is this; wisdom is part of a sequence of events associated with developing our mental capacity and ability. It is found in the second stage of our intellectual development as humans; it seats right in the middle of two other interrelated components without which one’s mental or intellectual capacity cannot be fully explored and exploited. To understand how wisdom can be obtained, you must first understand how it relates and is dependent on two other factors that complement it. So this leads us to the three pillars of intellectual development.

LEARNING: this is the first step in the journey towards intellectual or mental development. This is how every mental or intellectual development begins; it is defined as the deliberate attempt of acquiring specific information on a given subject or issue. Simply put, it is the acquisition of information. Learning is the process of gathering, getting or acquiring knowledge or information. Thus, the result of every learning process is the possession or acquisition of knowledge or information. All you are ever going to get from learning is nothing but knowledge, which means information in mind. That is to say; information is retained or stored after any learning process is completed. Thus, the endpoint of every learning you go through is to obtain knowledge on a certain subject or issue. The possession of knowledge doesn’t necessarily mean you are wise or smart, it only means you are knowledgeable; a carrier of information. As the old saying goes; he that knows and does not what he knows is no different than he that doesn’t know and therefore cannot do. This is why learning (knowledge) alone isn’t sufficient if one must attain a high level of intellectual or mental ability. Hence, the need for application which brings us to the second stage in our journey towards intellectual or mental development; the doing or application stage (wisdom).

DOING: this is where what you have learnt during the first stage of your journey towards intellectual or mental development will be activated. Since the goal of learning is to acquire knowledge or information, the knowledge acquired is usually in a dormant state waiting to be activated. All that you have learnt, either through reading, observation or experience is equal to nothing if it isn’t carried out or put to use (applied). The value of learning is not in the acquisition of information or knowledge but rather, in its practical usefulness when applied to a real time situation or circumstance. This is the source of wisdom; applied knowledge or information. In order to obtain wisdom, one must first get knowledge or information through learning, only then can one activate what has been acquired so as to obtain the wisdom therein. Wisdom resides in knowledge or information rightfully applied. Knowing a thing by learning it (knowledge) is quite different from knowing a thing by doing it (wisdom). The outcome of both actions is totally different. While it is true that you cannot have one without the other, it is equally true that they both yield two significantly different results. The doing stage is very crucial to one’s mental or intellectual development because therein lies the power to internalize and personalize what has been learnt. The doing stage allows you the opportunity to bring life into what was dormant thereby making you a creator rather than a possessor of information or knowledge. We become wiser when we apply what we have learnt because we gain deeper insight from using the dormant version of the knowledge or information acquired into something more real and active. The doing stage is where knowledge or information is converted from a dormant (passive) resource to a practical (active) resource. When we learn our goal shouldn’t just be to know, our goal must also be to put to use (apply) what we have known. This is only how wisdom can be obtained. Why then is wisdom so important in our quest to develop mentally and intellectually? Without wisdom, understanding cannot be attained. Thus, we come to the final process in our journey towards mental or intellectual development; understanding.

UNDERSTANDING: this is the interpretation of knowledge and experience in order to gain or grasp the meaning there of. Understanding is your own perception of the knowledge, experience or information acquired having applied it to a practical situation or circumstance. It's the thing being x-rayed through your mindset. To understand more, you have to expand your mindset by learning (knowledge) and doing (wisdom) more. Understand comes only when you must have applied what you had learnt. In other words, understanding comes only when you must have rightfully made use of what you had previously learnt. That is, only a wise person can gain understanding, because understanding comes only after you must have done.

Hence the sequence, KNOWLEDGE (learning); WISDOM (doing); and UNDERSTANDING (interpretation). Learning allows us know what to do, wisdom equips us on how to do, while understanding helps us interpret and put into proper perspective what we had learnt and have done. Understanding is where we interpret and bring into perspective both knowledge (what we learnt) and experience (what we have done).

[OMOTOYE OLAJIDE J]

This is great!! I'm glad to be a member of this community. God bless you Tito.

[Tito Philips, Jnr.]

WOW!!!
If i didnt understand the immense value of wisdom prior to my writing this article, i guess i do now as a result of all your responses and comments. I am happy you all had one or two things to pick from the article. However, here is a little reminder, it's not what you read that brings wisdom, but what you do with what you read. So i urge you all once again, dont stop at knowledge, take a step further and put all that you've read to practise for then will you obtain the principal thing - WISDOM!

[Adim Vincent]

Just finished reading this article and I must say it is really inspiring, I quite agree with you Tito on these facts; it is then true that knowledgeable men are plentiful while wise men are scarce. Now it can be seen that, nothing there is that has never been and nothing that will ever be that has never been. The Holy Bible summarizes it all by saying “Faith without work is dead” so if we have Faith (knowledge) we should support it with the Work (wisdom) because only a truly wise man can work good works!

[chuks ezeh]

there is say that goes like this"in all you are geting, get WISDOM".I LOVE THIS TOPIC

[Tolulope Oketayo]

Without carrying out what we have learnt, one cannot obtain wisdom
we just have to apply or do what we have learnt else, it will diminish and there will be nothing left.
Tito you are blessed
thanks for always teaching us what is so important to our life's God will expand your wisdom in Jesus name.

[OLASENI PETER A]

Wisdom is a great topic in the phillosophy of life which can only be handled by people of great mind and understanding. kudos to you for this special edition, may God's Grace never depart from you. keep it up.

[Tito Philips, Jnr.]

Don't be selfish with it, LOL.
Try to invite others too!

[Tito Philips, Jnr.]

You are welcome Paul, im glad it did make a positive impact on you. That is the essence and purpose of this community ...to help you and us all to develop the RIGHT perspective to life and living with meaning.

[OLAWALE PAUL]

i really love dis post. God bless you.