"I don't know about you, but I recall always being told, growing up, about the importance of wisdom -as some kind of life-learning objective, as if it were the pinnacle of cognitive development. There's not really a time that I can remember not being aware, to some extent, of wisdom as an existing concept. However, despite decades of being aware of the concept, I also recall never being given a good definition of it-at least one that was provided on a consistent basis."
"Consider for a moment what you think of when the word "wisdom" is presented. The image I had as a child remains what I think of when I encounter the term now: an old man, long white beard, sitting upon folded legs and eyes closed. The image one holds, regardless of whether it's similar to mine or not, implies something about beliefs regarding what wisdom is. My example seems to imply an older, experienced individual-the folded legs and closed eyes implying engagement in deep reflection."
Wisdom commonly appears as a lifelong ideal and the pinnacle of cognitive development, noticed from early childhood. Cultural images frequently depict wisdom as an older, reflective figure, linking wisdom to maturity and deep contemplation. Religious traditions and classical figures like Socrates contribute to these representations. Personal and cultural imagery can shape beliefs about what wisdom entails. Wisdom also functions as a higher-order cognitive process, involving metacognition and reflection. The metacognitive status of wisdom requires careful consideration when defining how wisdom operates in practice and how it should be understood or cultivated.
Read at Psychology Today
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