Wisdom vs. Knowledge

[Write]

In my English class we're learning about Ancient Greece and we've been looking at some of the Greek philosophers' qoutes. A topic that comes up alot is Wisdom verses knowledge. My class has defined the 2 as this

Wisdom - the ability to make the best choice in a situation and the ability to analyze life

Knowledge - book smarts

what's your opinion?

[Bowie20049]

So how is this a debate?

[Rage]

Well, isn't wisdom attained through knowledge? You can't just be born with a shit load of wisdom, it has to come from the understanding of how something works, which is knowledge.

[Faust]

Well, isn't wisdom attained through knowledge? You can't just be born with a shit load of wisdom, it has to come from the understanding of how something works, which is knowledge.

Technically you can have wisdom without knowledge. I mean wisdom is just like common sense, someone could know the atomic number of Barium but they would stick their finger into a plug socket.

[Syn]

Come to think of it, I don't really agree when people say "knowledge is power". I think that wisdom is kind of more important and useful. I mean what use does one have of encyclopedic knowledge if they don't have any idea of how and where to use it.

I mean just look at Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory xD

[mephet]

Well, isn't wisdom attained through knowledge? You can't just be born with a shit load of wisdom, it has to come from the understanding of how something works, which is knowledge.

I don't fully agree: they are related, but one can be more wise than knowledgeaful, and wisdom isn't just understanding how a particular thing works. Wisdom is more about insight, perception and intelligent thinking which is something studying in general will feed, but no one book can teach. A lot of knowledge about one subject (say, cars) won't make you any wiser, but I do agree that a lot of general knowledge does grow one's wisdom.

[jordanisonfire]

The fuck is "Wisdm"?

[Write]

Well, isn't wisdom attained through knowledge? You can't just be born with a shit load of wisdom, it has to come from the understanding of how something works, which is knowledge.
You can be wise about something, but have know knowledge on it. Example: You can know nothing about cars, but have the wisdom not to text during driving.

[Bowie20049]

But you would have the knowledge that texting during driving would leave a bigger chance to have an accident.

[mephet]

Just to clarify, here's the definition of wisdom according to the dictionary:

wis·dom (wzdm)
n.
1. The ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting; insight.
2. Common sense; good judgment: "It is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things" (Henry David Thoreau).
3.
a. The sum of learning through the ages; knowledge: "In those homely sayings was couched the collective wisdom of generations" (Maya Angelou).
b. Wise teachings of the ancient sages.
4. A wise outlook, plan, or course of action.
5. Wisdom Bible Wisdom of Solomon.

[Syn]

But you would have the knowledge that texting during driving would leave a bigger chance to have an accident.

Actually I think that falls more under wisdom than knowledge..
I think that knowledge would be to know how to use those technologies and how to do them both at the same time, skill wise. But wisdom would let you understand that doing them together is dangerous.

[SapphireSeaBird]

I think they sort of come hand in hand. To have the ability to make a wise desicion, you would need to have knowledge of the options and their outcomes. In turn, having a lot of knowledge is going to make you wiser in general, although I suppose you do get the insane genius types who are smart but have no common sense...
Anyway. I don't think either is more important/better or whatever, but that they compliment each other.

[Write]

I think they sort of come hand in hand. To have the ability to make a wise desicion, you would need to have knowledge of the options and their outcomes.

The have widom you would know the options and outcomes.

[Optional Toaster]

The difference I see between the two is that knowledge is something that changes. You learn more as you go on through life, but having wisdom is something that can't change.

I imagine wisdom to be more of understanding through personal experience, so it kind of stays with a person. Someone can't be wise about something they've never experienced before.

[Write]

I imagine wisdom to be more of understanding through personal experience, so it kind of stays with a person. Someone can't be wise about something they've never experienced before.

But you can learn from others mistakes

[Optional Toaster]

But you can learn from others'
mistakes.

It's not the same thing as feeling something for yourself, though. You can see how someone is feeling and maybe relate it to something similar you experienced, but you can't really understand unless it's under the same circumstance.

Oftentimes, people don't learn from mistakes unless it's a mistake of their own.

[Rage]

Widsom is merely experience in my opinion, anyone who claims to be all wise and shit at a young age is a liar. You can't be born with a natural knack of making the right decision, you can be lucky, but with out the experience or proper research, you're just the same at making choices as everyone else.

Wisdom in our day and age is hardly anything special anyway, common sense is well, extremely common. Everyone knows the basic principles of how not to be a complete idiot.

[mephet]

^ I wouldn't say liar, it's a very cold assumption. Nobody is born with wisdom, that's true, but depending on the upbringing, personality and maturity of a person they can be wise at a young age.
I don't think wisdom is just common sense and not being an idiot, it's far more than that. As I said earlier, I think it's insight: being able to see things from all different kinds of perspectives and noticing important details, as well as understanding the big picture. Sadly, this is something I experience as rare in our day.

[Kalculator]

Widsom is merely experience in my opinion, anyone who claims to be all wise and shit at a young age is a liar..

As mephet said, you can be wise and stuff at a young age if you have been properly brought up, like my friend, for example.

[Rage]

I don't put having a healthy upbringing in the same class as being wise. There's billions of kids who have parents who teach them right from wrong, unless their dad's Gandalf or Yoda then they're probably going to have completely average decision making skills and perceptive abilities, like everybody else.

I mean sure there's these proper tragic kids who have had such terrible upbringings that it will probably haunt them for the rest of their life, and I'm sure they'll have a different view on things. But I wouldn't say that's wisdom as such, that's just fear and pain. Wisdom is attained through time, why do you think wise characters are always portrayed as wrinkly old people? :sarcasm:

Being wise doesn't mean you merely can asses a situation, that's just taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture. As Mephet mentioned, approaching things from different perspectives, which usually takes place mentally. Everyone does that who is of average intelligence.

I say proper genuine wisdom is years and years of experience. The rest is just standard human precautions and shit.

[Syn]

I say proper genuine wisdom is years and years of experience.
Keeping in mind that there are people that no amount of years could make wise.

[Bilbo]

I would say wisdom is by far the more important.

Look, a knowledgeable person will know that the purple elaphent falls out of the sky at 9 AM , and 6 PM. He also knows that after three hits, a purple elephant will kill you. :P

However, the wise person, while they may not know when the elephant jumps, will be hit by the elephant, run inside, and make sure never to go outside 'till they've figured out how to avoid the elephant.

Meanwhile, the person with knowledge is whistling merrily along when suddenly- BAM! BAM! BAM!

:p Sorry. I can't stay normal long.

[Bowie20049]

Knowledge: acquaintance with facts, truths, or principles, as from study or investigation

Wisdom: scholarly knowledge or learning

Kinda hard to be wise without knowledge, eh?

[Bilbo]

Knowledge: acquaintance with facts, truths, or principles, as from study or investigation

Wisdom: scholarly knowledge or learning

Kinda hard to be wise without knowledge, eh?

Wisdom: 1. The ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting; insight.

2. Common sense; good judgment: (free online dictionary)

Knowledge: (also on Freeonlinedictionary) 1. The state or fact of knowing.

2. Familiarity, awareness, or understanding gained through experience or study.

When I use the word wisdom, I think of it as # 2 : common sense, good judgement.

Now, the only way we will get this argument over with is if we settle on a single definition.

What is wisdom and what is knowledge? According to FreeOnlineDictionary, I'm right, but are we going by FreeONlineDictionary?

[Jack]

Wisdom-- The application of knowledge.

[Bilbo]

Is that what we're going by?

Because, in that case, it's impossible to have wisdom in an area without having knowledge first... But knowledge is useless if you don't know what to do with it...

I guess they're sort of co-existent.... Yeah, since, if you think about it, wisdom is the application of knowledge, then having knowledge without wisdom is utterly useless, and you can't have wisdom without first having knowledge..

But then, going by that definition, wisdom is the most important thing, since it assumes that you already have knowledge ! :P

Unless of course, you're saying " Wisdom without knowledge" , which is a nonsensical oxymoron.

So confusing....

[Faust]

It's knowledge that tells you that a tomatoe is a fruit but it's wisdom that tells you not to but it in your fruit salad.

I am sticking to that.

[Bilbo]

Yeah, that's pretty true.

However, like I was saying, when you say someone has wisdom, that is assuming that they already have knowledge.

Therefore, I would rather have wisdom. Actually, the word "wisdom" , and "logic", I use inter-changeably.