What Is an Example of Wisdom?
Many would consider acting calmly instead of resorting to anger in a difficult situation an example of wisdom, because it shows rationality, experience and self-control to know that anger will not fix a situation and most times will actually make it worse. Wisdom manifests itself in different ways, and many different religions have their own understanding of how a “wise” individual acts.
Wisdom is most commonly referred to as a characteristic in a person who acts using common sense, experience and understanding. Wisdom is something that is gained over a long period of time. In classical literature, those who are wise are typically very old, very calm and very intelligent. Wisdom can mean that an individual has a lot of knowledge on one or a multitude of subjects, or simply that one knows how to act when in a certain situation.
Wisdom is also found as a virtue in many different religions. For example, the book of Proverbs in the Bible is considered “wisdom literature,” as it provides instructions on how a “wise” individual lives his or her life. Similarly, Lao Tzu and Siddhartha Buddha both lay out specific qualifications for individuals to be wise. A common theme throughout each of these traditions is that the wise are also kind, generous and do not go to extremes in happiness or sadness.
