What About Intellect Without Wisdom?

A good question from a reader who took time to email about her concern.

It seems that she's surrounded at work by many purported to be "the best and the brightest."

The observation: The brightest aren't necessarily the best.

Her conclusion and frustration come from daily experiences where "smart" people aren't making sound, thoughtful decisions. To her, this doesn't reflect what one would expect from high IQ's and advanced degrees. She's puzzled about a lack of consistent relationship between intelligence and wisdom.

You've seen the same thing, I'm sure. So what's really happening here?

There is a distinct difference between knowledge and knowing how to apply it properly in a given situation. My online colleague Jim Stroup often writes about the importance of situational assessment and adapting to changes at a given moment.

As I watch people succeed or struggle in businesses each day, a picture emerges.

When making decisions and judgments, wise managers have a keen sense of their own weaknesses before exercising their strengths. They value discernment, taking into consideration the situation and the people involved.This causes them to pause and reflect on the totality of things before acting.

My reader is seeing just the opposite: people whose actions are not governed by discernment but by a sense of "self" as the center of things. This often leads them to ignore the totality of people and information and rely only on what resides in their own minds. Whatever level of information that may be, it is one-dimensional and inconsistent with the totality of the situation.

Finally: wise people seem to consciously value wisdom over pure intellect. Instead of pursuit of knowledge as a commodity, they pursue wisdom as a lifestyle.

Watch what people pursue. It will tell you much about what to expect from them.

"Intelligence is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. 
Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad."

 

Comments

[Steve Woodruff]

Someone that is wise (intelligence + humility) will tend to seek out what is the best course. Someone that is merely full of grey matter and self (intelligence + pride) will seek out the course that inflates his/her ego. Usually, it doesn't take long to discern the difference...

[Steve Roesler]

Hey, Steve, thanks for stopping by and adding a nugget.

The humility/pride dichotomy has always served as a gauge for me as well and I think would be useful to people as a tool for discernment if they could begin watching others' decision processes through that lens.

Here's a question:

We have the same types of clients. When it comes to management talent and upward mobility, are you seeing any change in who is getting rewarded/stalled on this dimension? That is, are more organizations paying attention to the toxic effects of the pride factor or are they still saying, 'Who cares, (s)he gets results'"

[Wally Bock]

I love the final quote and I've already shared it with several people. I agree with the idea that the humility/pride dichotomy leads to consider character issues.

But I disagree with the idea what humility or pride have any place in the definition of either knowledge or wisdom. They are part of a hierarchical continuum that includes data and information as well. In that continuum, wisdom is knowledge plus purpose. A person can be wise and not humble or humble but not wise.

[Steve Roesler]

Great, Wally. My legacy will now be: "He was the guy who said the tomato thing."

I'll have to ponder more on the pride/humility thing. Certainly they have nothing to do with knowledge. And, I like the Knowledge + Purpose characterization.

What I am considering is this: Is the exercise of knowledge with purpose experienced as "wise" when it is presented pridefully vs. with humility?

And even if not, does it make any difference?

I had hoped not to think any deep thoughts for the remainder of the weekend:-)