What is wisdom and what is its importance? Recent eNotes discussions have shown me how, on a good day, online discussion forums can resemble Socratic dialogues. In that spirit, I thought we might take on one of the most ancient subjects in philosophy - wisdom. What does it mean to be wise? What is wisdom and how does one achieve it? Has the meaning or nature of wisdom changed over time? Why is wisdom important? To add a contemporary spin, we might ask where we can see wisdom at work today and, alas, in what areas we may see it lacking...

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What is wisdom and what is its importance?Recent eNotes discussions have shown me how, on a good day, online discussion forums can resemble...

What is wisdom and what is its importance? Recent eNotes discussions have shown me how, on a good day, online discussion forums can resemble Socratic dialogues. In that spirit, I thought we might take on one of the most ancient subjects in philosophy - wisdom. What does it mean to be wise? What is wisdom and how does one achieve it? Has the meaning or nature of wisdom changed over time? Why is wisdom important? To add a contemporary spin, we might ask where we can see wisdom at work today and, alas, in what areas we may see it lacking...

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MICHAEL UGULINI eNotes educator| CERTIFIED EDUCATOR

Being wise means being discerning as how to act after you digest the facts, data, information, and circumstances before you. An individual can have great intellect and be armed with a wealth of information and still make wrong decisions. Wisdom is synthesizing all this information into a proper and right decision.

One achieves wisdom through life experiences, through study, through seeking the advice of others who have proved to be wise in their lives, and through living a number of years and accumulating more wisdom as each year passes.

I don't believe the meaning or nature of wisdom has changed over the years. I believe the factors that influence wisdom have changed - cultures change, technology changes, ideologies change, and individual experiences are constantly in flux.

Wisdom is important because wise decisions often prevent heartache. They can prevent difficult situations from developing or getting worse. A decision not to take illegal drugs because of the data showing the destructive effects of so doing is a wise decision and prevents heartache for the decision maker and those of their circle of influence.

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