Wisdom as We Age

AgingWisdom
Written By Garry Cole

They say we gain wisdom as we age. I seem to be waiting for it to kick in.

This is not a new concept, and I certainly I did not make it up.

“Is not wisdom found among the aged?
Does not long life bring understanding?
Job 12:12 (NIV version)

Many Bible historians suggest that the Old Testament book of Job may be the oldest book in the Bible, written during the time of The Patriarchs between 1900-1700 BC. So yes, props to old people having wisdom is nothing new.

Fast forward some 3900 years and we find Arthur C. Brooks writing about wisdom in his best selling book
From Strength To Strength. In his book he says
”Over our lifetime we accumulate a vast amount of knowledge.” This is crystallized intelligence, where we have the ability to productively use this intelligence. He calls this wisdom.

I certainly understand his premise. However may I point out that much of my accumulated knowledge will not be needed to be used in my future. I mean, I kinda don’t need to focus on brand image, digital media, and the power of marketing automation to drive prospect engagement. And I hope my “expertise” of changing diapers is a thing of my past.

So where does that leave us in this wisdom discussion? Nothing against Mr. Brooks, and I highly recommend you read his book. But maybe we don’t need “all” of the accumulated knowledge. Maybe wisdom involves understanding what we keep, what we can discard, and what we continue to look to learn.

Lets go back to ancient Greece around the time of 350 BC for some clues. The ancient Greek maxim “Know thyself” is inscribed in the pronaos (forecourt) of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. Aristotle expounded the rule of conduct with the phrase “Knowing ourselves is the beginning of all wisdom.” I do like where this is going. While it can be fun and interesting to accumulate information, it may appear that wisdom suggests we focus on who we are at this stage in our lives.

A 2010 study from The University of Chicago does confirm that we gain wisdom as we age and should kick in sometime between the first use of reading glasses and your sign up for Medicare. However it may not be the Einstein affect that we were hoping for. According to neuropsychologists wisdom includes:

  • Emotional regulation

  • Compassion

  • Tolerance for uncertainty

  • Self-reflection

  • Knowledge and acceptance of life’s complexities

Psychologist Igor Grossman calls wisdom a form of “intellectual humility”. He found people who score high on wisdom tests (I did not know there was such a thing as a wisdom test, and I will be wise not to take it) tend to seek advice, listen well, and not pretend to know everything at the dinner table. Did I mention that I am still waiting for my wisdom to kick in?

Maybe I need to go back in history once again for the wisest advice I could use where Socrates once said-
”The one thing I know is that I know nothing at all”.

Enjoy your day,

Garry
 

Just a little extra-

Want to grow wiser faster? The experts would suggest these strategies-

  • Journal regularly

  • Listen more than you speak

  • Read broadly (outside of your comfort zone)

  • Ask others what they think, and listen

  • Reflect on mistakes without the pain

    “Wisdom comes with age. But sometime age arrives alone.”
    Oscar Wilde

References

Brooks, Arthur C. Book- From Strength To Strength

Daley, Ryan, May 18, 2020. Finding Wisdom As We Age. Psychology Today

Cole, Garry. Book- Are We Old Yet? A Casual Conversation About Aging
(Yes, I am quoting from my own book.)

Garry Cole
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