A Simple Definition of Wisdom.

The Bible tells us that the entirety of the law can be summed up in one sentence, "Treat others as you would like to be treated". But what about wisdom? Is there a way to define wisdom in one simple sentence? Here is my conclusion.

Wisdom is not the same thing as knowledge, although there is an overlap between the two. One can have knowledge without wisdom but some knowledge is necessary to have wisdom. My definition of wisdom is simply big-picture, long-term thinking. Knowledge without wisdom will bring short-term success and long-term failure. Wisdom, as I define it, is always doing and thinking with the big picture and the long-term in mind. This is not the same thing as living in either the future or the past. The fruits of wise thinking will stand the test of time and, in fact, may require time to become apparent.

Wisdom is related to the idea of perfection but is more about making the very best of what you have, not in the short-term, but in the long-term big picture of things. In fact, wisdom can be defined as long-term efficiency. Taking every opportunity to do and think that which is most profitable and not doing or thinking that which is wasteful.

One component of big-picture thinking is insight. To see deeper than things look on the surface. Suppose someone tells you something negative about someone else. Do you automatically believe it? Maybe the person who told you just feels inferior in some way and is trying to build themselves up by trying to knock someone else down.

In fact, wisdom shows that hatred is a compliment in a very real way because it takes a great amount of energy to hate someone and so the object of the hatred must really have something to be worthy of the effort of being hated. Those countries that have persecuted Christians finally realized that hating someone for what they believe makes no sense at all because if what they believe is not true, putting in the effort of hating is utterly illogical and in fact the hatred shows that they suspect that the beliefs may be true but do not want them to be true.

Wisdom is a light that shines beyond the surface. Suppose that there is a person who dislikes you. If seen in wisdom, it may be more because of what they are than what you are. Maybe you have made them, or a group that they belong to, feel inferior. Possibly you have given them a reminder that their view of the world is inaccurate. Unless the person has a degree of big-picture thinking, this may cause them to have a dislike for you.

Every person has emotions, a mind and, a spirit. The most short-term, and unwise, plan is to have the actions dominated by the emotions. Being led by the mind is better than being led by the emotions. But the best of all is to be led by the spirit in alignment with God. The best of human wisdom can be wrong, and in any case falls short of ideal. A group or community of people are just as likely to be wrong as an individual. So, following the crowd cannot be the definition of wisdom, indeed someone who thinks as everyone else does will be no wiser than anyone else. The Wisdom of God gives people a compass with it's reference points from beyond the world. The big picture does not mean the entire world or your entire life, it means the Kingdom of God and all of eternity.

The definition of wisdom is related to the definitions of good and evil. I define good as being in harmony with the highest long-term reality and evil with being out of harmony with this reality. Good is long-term and evil, in most cases, is the product of short-term, self-centered thinking.

I have decided on a simple way to recognize a wise person. Such a person will thank you when you prove them wrong. That is my definition of wisdom.