To gain wisdom, you must first know what it is. Unfortunately, this is harder than it seems, as there is no universal agreement.
Wisdom is not knowledge, which is the acquisition of facts and information. It is not experience, the practical application of knowledge in real-world situations. It is not understanding, the ability to comprehend and interpret information. And it is not prudence, the right use of knowledge. Rather, wisdom is the proper perspective of reality.
Wisdom arises from the skillful integration of knowledge, experience, and understanding. A proper perspective is God’s perspective; the closer we come to it, the wiser we are.
Worldly wisdom is a distorted perspective of reality, shaped by selfishness, personal bias, misinformation, and misinterpreted experience. Prejudice is prejudgment, and to prejudge is to misjudge.
I can give you answers, but not wisdom. Wisdom comes through a long process of integrating true knowledge with real experience into a proper perspective of reality—God’s perspective.
These reflections offer answers to problems you may not have fully struggled with. Still, I offer them in the hope that, if not now, they may be appreciated later. As the saying goes, “It takes more wisdom to receive advice than to give it.”
