I’m exploring the topic of ‘Wisdom’ for a future issue of S P A C E, based on conversations with people 10, 7, and 20 years older than me who, for better or worse, I’m questioning. Specifically, I am wondering about how they’re doing with respect to the whole ‘with age comes wisdom’ (so-called?) growth trajectory. I’m not sure that it’s so linear. In fact, I’m concluding it’s not an if this, then that, kind of a thing.
Growth and wisdom: Variation on learning curves
Used to be, when I was younger, I would meet someone older and give them my undivided attention, listen carefully to their advice, and factor it in, as I went. Now, no.
Why not? Because, as one Reddit ‘unpopular opinion’ forum’s commenters talked about, maturity doesn’t necessarily come with age. In fact, the experiences I am having point me to that exact point of view: why is it that some who are so much older than me seem to lack self-awareness about the perspective, opinions, and feelings of ‘others?’ I thought you would have gotten that far and learned that, but maybe what I was thinking was wrong.
What do experts say?
There are studies on this topic, though they are skewed to the Western culture and that set of society’s ideas about ‘wisdom.’ With that caveat and awareness, these remain things I want to read more fully, but for now, this one was really cool. Definitions of wisdom in a table, over here. In particular, I like this breakdown of ‘wise reasoning’, which requires:
(1) Intellectual humility;
(2) Seeing others’ perspectives;
(3) Integrating different perspectives;
(4) Recognizing uncertainty and change.
What about you?
What do you think?
Let’s discuss. I’ll host a virtual conversation on Zoom for 4-5 of us, soon.
Get a ticket here.
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