Wisdom Comes with Age
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Before we go on this journey, I have certain questions to ask you, if I have all the cooking utensils and ingredients of the world in my kitchen, does that make me a good cook? Or if I have all the books of this world in my house, does that make a wiser person? Whatever your answers are, in this discussion we will be learning something similar, i.e., does wisdom come with age?
What do you understand by the word wisdom? |
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Wisdom to me is about understanding how to use our experience to make good decisions, and knowing when to act and when to wait. It is about learning from our mistakes, being kind and compassionate, and making the world a better place.
In this sense, wisdom is just not about knowing a lot of stuff or having a lot of experience but it is more about how we use our experience and knowledge gained for the betterment of ourselves and our immediate surroundings. To understand this better, let us imagine we want to build a house, here;
Knowledge is like having all the tools, materials and experience. That is we know what a hammer is, how to use nails, and what kind of wood to choose.
Wisdom on the other hand is all about knowing how to all put these tools, materials and experience together usefully to build a good house. That is knowing when to use the right tool for the job, how to avoid mistakes, and how to make the house last.
Do you think great wisdom comes with age or anyone can possess it? |
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Well since I was a child, it has been a common saying that wisdom comes with age, but as I have come to understand things better, I can gladly tell you that this is not always the case. This is because, age is just experiences over time. i.e., that is the more we live, the more we see and learn and we get to make mistakes, learn from them, and by so doing we build up our bank of knowledge.
Like I earlier stayed, wisdom is not about acquiring knowledge but about using that knowledge for good. Wisdom is not just about having a lot of experience over time but it is about understanding how to apply this experience we've gained for good use.
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Therefore, while age can give us a lot of experience, it doesn't necessarily guarantee wisdom as some people learn quickly and make wise choices even at a young age than the older age fellows, whereas there are those who might have lived a long life but still haven't learned anything from their experiences.
For example, we can have a lot of books, but that doesn't make us good readers if we don't make use of the knowledge in the books. Hence, we need to open the books, read them, and understand what they mean.
This also applies for wisdom, as we need to open our minds, learn from our experiences, and choose to use our knowledge wisely. Hence, wisdom is a choice, and it is about being open to learning, reflecting on our experiences, and using our knowledge to make good decisions. By doing so, any of us can be wise, regardless of our age.
If wisdom should come with age, do you agree that all elders are wise? |
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Well, if we assume that wisdom comes with age, then I will agree that all elder are wise people but then that's not the case as not all people with wisdom are elderly and not all elderly people have wisdom as even stupid people grow older too.
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It is just a common belief that elders are wise because they have lived longer and seen more. But I tell you, just like age doesn't guarantee we will have a good life, it also doesn't guarantee we will be filled with wisdom either.
Let me ask you a question, does having a lot of ingredients in our kitchen make all of us good cooks? Exactly, we need to know how to combine all these ingredients, cook them properly, and create something delicious to make us good cooks. The same goes for wisdom as we need to know how to use our experiences to make good choices and create a good life.
Therefore some elders might be full of experiences but don't know how to use them effectively as they might be stuck in their old ways, unwilling to learn new things, or make poor decisions based on outdated beliefs.
Whereas, others might have little or no experience but use their little wisely as they are open to new ideas, learn from their mistakes, and make decisions based on their understanding of the world. Therefore, just because someone is older doesn't mean they are wise because wisdom comes from how we use our experience, not just how much experience we have gathered over the years.
What is your personal understanding of elders possessing wisdom? |
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Okay, It is true that elders often have a wealth of experience, but wisdom is not just about having lived a long time but about how we have used that time. At this point, we should understand that it is important to know that wisdom is a journey and not a destination.
And if you have been following from the beginning, you would have understood my personal perspective of this debate that wisdom is not tired to age but it is about constantly learning and growing, regardless of age. However, I will not dispute the fact that elders can possess wisdom if they use their experience over the years effectively but we shouldn't just go with the flow that all elders have wisdom. We can see such with the leaders of today, despite all the experiences they have witnessed from the wars down to bad governance, they still haven't learnt anything to be wise.
I want to take this opportunity to inviting @bossj23, @okere-blessing and @enamul17.
Thank You for your Time
NOTE: Always have a smile on your face, as you are never fully dressed without one.
You've made some points here. Sometimes I reasons why there's a saying that a fool at 40 is a fool forever. Anyways, someone may be advanced in age but lack knowledge or maybe is limited because wisdom is of two category. The urban wisdom and the rural wisdom.
A villager of 60 years would say that marriage is only meant for people that are advanced in age. You can't be 25 and contemplate marriage. It's a taboo. An educated urbaner of 20 years would say marrying early has lot of benefits which includes ability to train that child while you're still agile and young blood too would flow in that child's bloodstreams. 🤣🤣😉
Both reasoning are wise but
Which would you say Sir?
You've hit the nail on the head. It's fascinating how different perspectives on wisdom can clash, even within the same society. It's true, there's no single "right" answer when it comes to things like marriage. It's all about what works best for the individual and their circumstances.
That's what makes life so interesting, right? We all have our own unique experiences and beliefs that shape our views. I think it's important to respect both rural and urban wisdom, because each has its own value. It's all about finding the balance that works for you.
Mind you, as much I said not all elderly are wise people, I did not also say all elderly are stupid people... I just highlighted the fact that even stupid people grow old...
Let me ask a common belief around this part of Africa. Do you accept that all old people are witches? Exactly, 😂😂. If someone is elderly but rich, the person is considered to be enjoying their wealth but if that person is poor, I bet you the tune will be different.
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To be a good cook, we will have to learn how to properly combine the ingredients and use the utensils for cooking.
I believe the ingridints and utensils here are knowledge and experience. We have plenty of these in the elderly, but only those who can make good use of these in their decisions-making proces are truly wise.
About the old people being witches. Money is the true determining factor. Anyone who will not want to be a witch when they are old, should make wise financial investments now.
#realcomments
You are absolutely right, having knowledge and experience alone doesn't make someone wise. It's how they use those tools to make decisions that truly matters. And you're spot-on about the importance of financial planning. It's a great way to ensure that we can age gracefully and comfortably, without having to worry about money.
Your words really got me thinking about how we can all strive to be wiser, no matter our age. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Saludos estimado amigo. Estoy totalmente de acuerdo con lo que dices . No sé trata de obtener conocimiento si no como aplicarlo, como usar ese conocimiento adquirido en las diversas situaciones por eso considero que la sabiduría tiene que ver con l espíritu porque es un don. Te deseo éxitos y bendiciones.