What is Wisdom?

[Little_Sticks]

Someone posted something in another thread that I don't want to derail so I'm making this one for everyone.

Wisdom is knowing what is right and doing it. God does all things according to wisdom, and those who place their hope in him are wise.

That's sounds like a good start to me, but now we should talk about what is right and how we can know something is right.

There's a problem with this though. You say wisdom is knowing what is right and doing it. If we place hope in God, who we say both is wise and acts wise, we have faith in God's wisdom; we have faith in the wisdom of something not belonging strictly to ourselves.

But God's wisdom then eludes us and we do not have God's wisdom, but faith in it being. Then what wisdom do we have? If it is wise to have faith in another's wisdom, then by definition we have to know that it is right to do so. How do we know that it is right to have faith in another's wisdom? How do we know that it is right to have faith in God's wisdom?

 

[Not_Me]

Wisdom is the knowledge that comes from exercising critical thought.

 

[Spurgeon]

Spiritual wisdom, like general wisdom, is acquired through knowledge and experience.

Spiritual wisdom is knowing who God is and what his purposes are, and then learning to trust and obey him.

God has revealed himself and his purposes in the Bible, so familiarity with the Scriptures is essential.
Equally important is practical application of this knowledge--both in the mundane situations of daily life, as well as in dissicult trials.

Most important of all, wisdom requires humility and reverence toward God. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Pride and self-rule is foolishness. And since human nature is essentially bent towards pride and self-rule, if one seeks wisdom, one should PRAY for it.

 

[Not_Me]

I respect people's personal spiritual choices, but what you presented is dogma, not wisdom.

 

[Spurgeon]

And do how do we know we can trust God?

The answer is: by faith.

We must take him at his word, and then we find that what he says is true.

We never find that what he says is true until we take him at his word. And, sadly, that is the stumbling block for us.

Thankfully, by God's grace, we can overcome this problem. He gives faith to those who seek it from him.

 

[Spurgeon]

I respect people's personal spiritual choices, but what you presented is dogma, not wisdom.

Dogma or not, it is truth, and I will live and die by it.

 

[Green_Pine]

Applying your knowledge in a meaningful manor.

 

[Ponyboy]

Not sure how to quote a quote but relating to OP quoting Spurgeon: What is "right" changes as society changes. Wisdom is knowing what is WRONG and NOT doing it. Religion has nothing to do with it.

 

[wolfy]

Simple truths.

 

[Stanton Moore]

Not typology.

 

[Spurgeon]

What is "right" changes as society changes. Wisdom is knowing what is WRONG and NOT doing it.

No.

Actually, wisdom is something that never changes. The same thing with Truth--what is right and what is wrong. It transcends time and place, and does not depend on the fads and fancies of people.

There has always been, and always will be, true wisdom and that which people mistake as wisdom.

There really is nothing new under the sun.

 

[Green_Pine]

Spurgeon,

Would you agree that principles are discovered, not created then?

 

[Spurgeon]

Spurgeon,

Would you agree that principles are discovered, not created then?

Well, they originate from God, so he doesn't have to discover them.
But yes, humans can only discover them. They can't create them.

 

[Tiger Owl]

I agree with Spurgeon's posts on this topic.

 

[Coriolis]

From the OP:

Wisdom is knowing what is right and doing it.

I would say this is morality. Wisdom is more like learning from your experiences (as opposed to just muddling through and not benefitting from the lesson).

 

[Not_Me]

I agree with Spurgeon's posts on this topic.

What if there was no presupposition of truth? Would dogma still be an effective method for discovering the truth?

 

[Blank]

I think wisdom can be comparable to the notion of common sense. While common sense is...common, wisdom is not. Wisdom then, to me, would seem to be "uncommon sense" in that the right answers to complex problems are not very commonly found, and to those people who do have this "uncommon sense," we may deem wise.

However, I feel that notion of wisdom is too narrow. Certainly, there are those who hold an "uncommon" sense and use it to their advantage, ripping off others. The connotation I perceive when I think about wisdom is that wisdom is a positive thing and is used only beneficently. Thus, wisdom must be good and pure. But this makes me wonder: what are the boundaries of wisdom? As soon as one crosses the threshold of using wisdom for the sake of the betterment of others in good faith and enters the threshold of exploitation, that person is no longer wise, I argue; he is shrewd.

 

[KDude]

Wisdom is to shut up and know you're not or never will be wise.

Unless you're a movie character. And an 80 year old Chinese guy or Native American. Probably sitting by a campfire.

 

[Ginkgo]

I think wisdom can be comparable to the notion of common sense. While common sense is...common, wisdom is not. Wisdom then, to me, would seem to be "uncommon sense" in that the right answers to complex problems are not very commonly found, and to those people who do have this "uncommon sense," we may deem wise.

However, I feel that notion of wisdom is too narrow. Certainly, there are those who hold an "uncommon" sense and use it to their advantage, ripping off others. The connotation I perceive when I think about wisdom is that wisdom is a positive thing and is used only beneficently. Thus, wisdom must be good and pure. But this makes me wonder: what are the boundaries of wisdom? As soon as one crosses the threshold of using wisdom for the sake of the betterment of others in good faith and enters the threshold of exploitation, that person is no longer wise, I argue; he is shrewd.

+1

 

[Little_Sticks]

Not sure how to quote a quote but relating to OP quoting Spurgeon: What is "right" changes as society changes. Wisdom is knowing what is WRONG and NOT doing it. Religion has nothing to do with it.

From the OP:


I would say this is morality. Wisdom is more like learning from your experiences (as opposed to just muddling through and not benefitting from the lesson).

I have to wonder though, how do we not do what is wrong without then inadvertently doing what is right? Wouldn't it be right in itself just not to do what is wrong - to not make a mistake?

Simple truths.

I don't really know if I have much idea what you refer to. Do you mean like learning to take the bad with the good, focus on the good, and not think too much lest the good then becomes the bad, sort of thing? What did you have in mind?

I think wisdom can be comparable to the notion of common sense. While common sense is...common, wisdom is not. Wisdom then, to me, would seem to be "uncommon sense" in that the right answers to complex problems are not very commonly found, and to those people who do have this "uncommon sense," we may deem wise.

However, I feel that notion of wisdom is too narrow. Certainly, there are those who hold an "uncommon" sense and use it to their advantage, ripping off others. The connotation I perceive when I think about wisdom is that wisdom is a positive thing and is used only beneficently. Thus, wisdom must be good and pure. But this makes me wonder: what are the boundaries of wisdom? As soon as one crosses the threshold of using wisdom for the sake of the betterment of others in good faith and enters the threshold of exploitation, that person is no longer wise, I argue; he is shrewd.

That's a good point. I guess if it's the kind of exploitation that others aren't aware of, so they don't know what harm is being done to them, then is it really harm? I would say so because these are the things that cause betrayal, which leads to negative emotions (which can lead to turmoil, violence, and suffering) and that is harmful. And then if the exploitation wasn't harmful, then is it just balancing a world, like a Robin Hood stealing from the rich (without the rich knowing) and giving to the poor? I guess that would be okay, if it was stopped before it became harmful.

I guess my question to you is, does the shrewd person create a trail of karma that comes back to bite them in the ass?