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Many modern authorities on government, religion and philosophical Ethics say that wisdom connotes an enlightened perspective. This perspective is sometimes defined in a Utilitarian way, as effective support for the long-term common Good .


WISDOM AND PHILOSOPHY


A standard Philosophical definition says that wisdom consists of making the best use of available Knowledge . As with all decisions, a wise decision may be made with incomplete Information . The technical philosophical term for the opposite of wisdom is Folly .

In his '' Metaphysics '', Aristotle defines wisdom as knowledge of causes: ''why'' things are the way they are.


SOURCES OF WISDOM


Beyond the simple expedient of experience (Which may be considered the most difficult way to gain wisdom as through the "school of hard knocks"), there are a variety of other avenues to gaining wisdom which vary according to different philosophies. For example, Freethinkers and others believe that wisdom may come from pure Reason and perhaps experience, while others believe that it comes from Intuition or Spirituality .


  • Holists believe that wise people sense, work with and align themselves and others to Life . In this view, wise people help others appreciate the fundamental Interconnectedness of life.


  • Some religions hold that wisdom may be given as a gift from God.

  • In the Christian Bible, for example, there are three wise men sent by God to give the newly born Jesus three gifts.


  • The seventh verse of the first chapter of the Jew ish book of Proverbs in the Old Testament states "Fear of God is the beginning of Wisdom" (Proverbs 1:7). The beginning of fear of God is hating evil, the ways of evil, arrogance, pride and a duplicitous mouth (Proverbs).


  • Confucius stated that wisdom can be learned by three methods: reflection (The noblest), imitation (The easiest) and experience (The bitterest).


  • Buddha taught that a wise person is endowed with good bodily conduct, good verbal conduct & good mental conduct (AN3:2) and a wise person does actions that are unpleasant to do but give good results and doesn’t do actions that are pleasant to do but give bad results (AN4:115).


Practical WISDOM may be described as: Knowing what to say & when to say it. TAO

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