What is Wisdom?

I can google and Wiki Wisom all I want but I still don't get a full understanding what Wisdom is? Can you guys/gals explain to me what you feel Wisdom is?

Also does Wisdom run a fine line of divination or knowing the true knowledge of good and evil as stated about the tree of knowledge in the Old Testament?

I think your last sentence is pretty accurate:

But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
(Hebrews 5:14)

It's also about understanding judgment; that is, understanding what good and evil mean, and human nature, and I think it is what Paul calls 'having the mind of Christ' and having experienced both good and evil pretty thoroughly.

Experiencing evil is not the same as being or doing evil--the word evil, really, means something more like misery and darkness (rather than 'bad' which really is a relative term).

I would also say it is discernment of right and wrong.

It's seeing a matter/problem/incident/ object for it's truth and what can be learned from it to make us into who God wants us to be.

Knowledge is learned, wisdom is given(By God).

Not automatically--there are two kinds of wisdom:

Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. (James 3:13-18)[

All wisdom comes from experience--not age, but going through various life situations.

But if one overcomes by trusting God to carry them through, the 'above' type of wisdom is given. But don't forget there is 'worldy-wise,' too.

God's wisdom is more like 'understanding', from my perspective. Human wisdom comes from the first person view--understanding things as they have applied to you and you only. But God's wisdom enables one to view things with understanding on all sides, and from every point of view. It's kind of like the difference between knowing facts vs. knowing how to figure things out. The latter is useful in all situations, whereas the first is limited to its particular scope.

Well I am not sure if I have a definiton of wisdom the Bible has much to say about it. Especially Ecclesiastes and Proverbs, both were written by King Solomon, the wisest man to ever live. Yet he has some fascinating things to say about life. Here are two examples both come from the first chapter of Ecclesiastes verse 18:

For in much wisdom is much grief,
An he who increases knowledge
increases sorrow.

Earlier he calles the pursuit of these a "gaping in the wind". ALso that there is "nothing under the sun"....




[edit on 9-7-2006 by Scyman]

"Knowledge is having the power too act, when Wisdom is knowing when too act"
-Menguard

[edit on 9-7-2006 by menguard]

Originally posted by menguard
"Knowledge is having the power too act, when Wisdom is knowing when too act"
-Menguard

-OR-

Intelligence is the capacity, knowledge is the discernment, wisdom is the action; that is the appropriate application of knowledge. You could "know" when to act without actually acting. Or conversely, "know" not to act, where the appropriate action is not acting.

Maybe? Hey, just chucking it out there.

Wisdom went forth to make her dwelling among the children of men, and found no dwelling place.........
Wisdom returned to her place, and took her seat among the angels (1 Enoch 42)

Wisdom is allowing oneself to be denied of the luxeries in life.
Wisdom is knowing that all you know is not all there is.
Wisdom is greatest when one is at their lowest..

helen

is Maria as she sat next to the Word as Grace Created all !

Ave Maria ! come in Glory !

LOL

What is Wisdom?

Wisdom is knowing 'what to say', for there is a right time, and a right place, for everything!

helen

I am with you and Socrates on this one, chemlabco.

I have seen examples of wisdom, I have seen what isn't wisdom, I have seen partial definitions of wisdom, and I have seen generalities about wisdom. I have never seen a real, true, complete definition of wisdom. I think it is an extremely complex matter involving something so intangible and subjective that it may not even be possible to clearly define it for all people and purposes.

Still, we know it when we see it, don't we?

wisdom is to listen, and knowledge is to speak

ragster,

I question what you have said, not because it is better or worse than any other idea that has been put forth, but because you are the only one to have posted since I did.

If wisdom is gained through listening, can a deaf person never be wise?

If I listen to only to pigs snorting, have I become wise?

If I listen to all things, and remember none of it, am I still wise for having listened?

I only ask because I truly do not know what wisdom is and I truly want to know so that I can become wise. Explain more to me so that a person who is not wise will understand.

The thing is to know that wisom in listening is precieved as recieving, in any form of communication, and knowledge as for sending out in any form of communication.

You must know that wisdom has nothing to do knowledge and has everything to do with what and how you use it, I see wisdom is only gained through knowing, we are designed so that we will remember some things, as for someone who can remember anything they are not wise, but can be gifted with common sense, which all in all is knowledge. I am not the bedt person to explain nor do I have the knowlegde to, but this is all I can give.

If you are interested you or not affended the book of proverbs in the Bible has incredible thoughts of wisdom, most of which I know.

Peace be with you

ragster,

I grasp what you have said. You have said what isn't wisdom and have given me examples of wisdom, but still no definition.

Proverbs, no doubt contains things that are wise, yet it does not contain for me the actual definition of wisdom. I do not believe in most Christian Bible theories of wisdom as they would seem to imply that only Christians can be wise. I believe the Buddha was very wise, as is Thich Nat Han (sp?), Kahlil Gibran, and Lao-Tse. While Mother Teresa may have been wise, Pat Robertson is not.

Queenannie38, I value your opinion and have read your posts on this matter. You have said that wisdom can be gained through experience of good and evil, or can be given by God. You have stated that the hallmarks of wisdom are things like mercy, fairness, gentleness, and peace. I can buy this, for now, although I am not completely convinced. How about you chemlabco?

What I still need to know though is the definition. See, I have experienced both good and evil, I am close to my Creator, yet I do not think I have gained wisdom. I am certainly peace-loving and gentle. I am most likely too merciful for my own good, and I have no idea whether or not I am truly fair. Surely if I were wise I would know.

So I am still after a definition, any further ideas?

Wisdom is the proper use of knowledge.
Recieving it and using it.
As there is in this situation the use of wisdom by the thread is that of to make people think and actually use wisdom to come up with the right answer, so will there ever be an answer. It all depends now if there is an answer for the person asking the question.

I understand what you are saying and I know that this isn't my thread. However, indulge me just one last question, then I will stop regardless of your answer and leave the rest to chemlabco.

If wisdom is the proper use of knowledge, and I have knowledge of how to repair flat tires, and I use this knowledge properly, would I be wise? I don't think so.

I would think that maybe your definition is good if we add one thing.

Could we say, "Wisdom is the proper use of the PROPER knowledge"? Maybe we are really getting somewhere with that.

My question is this: How will we know what the proper knowledge is if we are not already wise? In my original statement "We know it when we see it, don't we?" I left this a question, because I am not entirely sure.

So in this event we see here, we will sit and ponder, what is wise, maybe it should be questioned how should someone be wise, instead of wanting to know what exactly it is.

We maybe getting somewhere! I think the slight approach would be understanding why we have tires and understanding why we need them to go flat and go through the whole process? As the biblical quptes mentioned wisom=sorrow as well as sobering?

Originally posted by wellwhatnow
I understand what you are saying and I know that this isn't my thread. However, indulge me just one last question, then I will stop regardless of your answer and leave the rest to chemlabco.

If wisdom is the proper use of knowledge, and I have knowledge of how to repair flat tires, and I use this knowledge properly, would I be wise? I don't think so.

I would think that maybe your definition is good if we add one thing.

Could we say, "Wisdom is the proper use of the PROPER knowledge"? Maybe we are really getting somewhere with that.

My question is this: How will we know what the proper knowledge is if we are not already wise? In my original statement "We know it when we see it, don't we?" I left this a question, because I am not entirely sure.

Humility--that's a big one. Following the commandment of selfless love. That's the law and the law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul. The converted soul is a wise soul.