Though knowledge and wisdom may seem alike, they are really very different. They actually only have two things in common – they both involve the mind and both are hard to acquire. Someone who has knowledge would know that a tomato is a fruit, but someone who had wisdom would know not to put them in a fruit salad. Anyone can obtain knowledge about anything, but only some can use that knowledge and apply it in the best way.Knowledge’ is information of which someone is aware.
Knowledge is also used to mean the confident understanding of a subject, potentially with the ability to use it for a specific purpose’Wisdom’ is the ability to make correct judgments and decisions. It is an intangible quality gained presumably through experience.Wisdom, the goal for which Govinda seeks, is a manner of living, a capacity, and not an object which one can isolate and capture in thoughts. This is Siddhartha’s second lesson: while knowledge is communicable, but wisdom is not.
No one can tell you where to find wisdom; it simply comes when you are ready to receive it. Siddhartha’s third lesson is that words are deceptive, which he expresses in the paradoxical phrase that “in every truth the opposite is equally true”Many people mistake knowledge for wisdom because they are intimately related, and this is unfortunate because they are quite different in an important way. Knowledge is the accumulation of facts and information. Wisdom is the synthesis of knowledge and experiences into insights that deepen one’s understanding of relationships and the meaning of life. In other words, knowledge is a tool, and wisdom is the craft in which the tool is used.
The Essay on The Division Between Knowledge
... first place? Intellect can be divided into three forms: knowledge, wisdom, and opinion. Though combined they produce a measure of ... to scrutinize knowledge. Wisdom is what scholars, thinkers, and ... work to contain volumes of information. Wisdom, however, is not as easily obtained as knowledge. Wisdom is the ability of the mind ...
If one understands this difference, he or she will also appreciate why it is vital to properly distinguish between the two. With the Internet, it is now relatively easy for a reasonably diligent person to quickly become knowledgeable in virtually any field of his or her choosing. We are literally awash in a sea of information! But having a hammer and knowing how to use it are two entirely different propositions. A hammer is amoral. Whether it is used for good or ill depends entirely on the wielder. Sadly, history is a lengthy record of the harms wrought by knowledgeable, well-meaning people who lacked wisdom.
In contrast to knowledge, wisdom is generally considered to be morally good. Why is this the case? Albert Einstein once said, ‘Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.’ Such a process is lengthy and arduous, which teaches the pursuer patience and humility. Seldom is a person unchanged by such a trial. When one finally uncovers a connection or insight that he or she believes to be universally applicable ‘truth,’ it often inspires awe akin to a spiritual experience.
‘Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers,’ wrote Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Truths stay with a person for the rest of his or her life, coloring all subsequent thoughts and actions. Wisdom requires no law or threat of punishment to ensure compliance. The practitioner typically feels a strong compulsion to obey his or her own beliefs. The wise can still fall prey to indiscretions and questionable moral behavior–being flesh and blood like us all–however, if one tracks such statistics, the odds of such failings are likely to be very small compared to the general populace.
Society esteems the wise for their virtuosity and for their rarity. Subject matter experts number in the thousands, but the wise may only number in the tens or hundreds. And history records their names and achievements for posterity’s sake.
Knowledgeable people spend most of their time planning out exactly when something should happen and just how long it has to take. And after they have completed the task of planning everything they spend the rest of their time accomplishing everything on their list; the only thought in their minds is that everything at one time or another has to be completed. Wise people are aware of the fact that you can only plan so much and the rest should be done when time allows. They know that it is not only impossible to plan every moment that one is awake, but that this is equally an ineffective way to live one’s life. Wise people also know that not everything can be done in the time allotted, and that you must use your time for business as well as pleasure.
The Essay on The Time Period And People Of Geoffrey Chaucer
The Time Period and People of Geoffrey Chaucer Geoffrey Chaucer is one of the greatest authors of his time. His distinctive use of characters in his literary works is one of a kind. Chaucer's works were accomplished during the Middle Ages. During this time period the whole community revolved around the church, the village and the surrounding farmland. The Middle Ages were heroic, entertaining, ...
