Wisdom is more important than knowledge.

Writing Seminar
Kenya Andrew

A large percentage of the world’s population believe that knowledge and wisdom

are one and the same, but this is untrue. Though the two are very closely affiliated; they are not

the same. Knowledge, as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary is “the total of what is

known”. Basically, it is everything that is observed and absorbed. All this collected data that is

then stored within our memory is a collection of what we know. Wisdom, on the other hand, as

defined by the Cambridge Dictionary is “the ability to use your knowledge and experience to

make good decisions and judgments”. To reiterate, it is the ability to make decisions based on

what is known. It is only after understanding the difference between these two characteristics

that one can appreciate the importance of wisdom over knowledge. Yes, wisdom relies heavily

on knowledge but the fact of the matter is that wisdom is by far the most valuable of the two; not

only does the characteristic ensure the proper utilization of knowledge, it also brings peace to the

mind and ensures survival.

Wisdom requires knowledge. For example, to successfully construct a house it is

required that the builder know how to wield a hammer as this tool is vital to this process. But

hammering wood together is not equivalent to designing a house. Wisdom is identifying when to

practice knowledge and how it amounts to something bigger that is ethical. Some argue that

without knowledge decisions made are inadequate but, this may be false. However, decisions

made in the absence of wisdom have proven to be questionable. There have been many instances

where knowledgeable individuals make uncharacteristically ridiculous decisions that negatively

impact large numbers of people. A wise person would ensure that the decisions being made are

beneficial, not only to him or herself but to society.

The main purpose of wisdom is the uplifting of the mind above all negative emotions

that plague us as humans. It brings tranquility to the mind and to the heart as well by

extinguishing useless emotions such as envy, gluttony and pride to name a few. It is through

wisdom that one recognizes the importance of seeing past the obvious imperfections of others,

forgiving the evil deeds of another and being kind and accepting to all which is the truest virtues

of all human beings. This characteristic is the growth of understanding, consideration and

kindness. It is the development of unconditional love to all with the exclusion of none. This

quality indicates the path to understanding the universe and everything in it and it gives us the

key to break free of the social norms and discrimination that divide us. Wisdom allows us to be

at peace not only with ourselves and our souls but with every living thing we do and do not make

contact with.

Wisdom revolves around decision making, as does life. In life it is the choices we

make that build or destroy us. We make choices every day and though some may seem

insignificant they all play a vital role in our survival. Every living thing has a bit of wisdom

instilled in them that we utilize daily from birth; we commonly refer to this as common sense. It

is that small nudge we get in the back of our minds that points us in the correct direction. For

example, a man is thirsty and he sees water flowing through the drains of the city. He has the

knowledge that this water is contaminated, but having that knowledge alone may not be enough

to stop him from quenching his thirst. It is wisdom or common sense that tells him to refrain

from ingesting that water and points him in the right direction. All decisions affect our survival
whether they be big or small and if one applies wisdom to every decision he or she makes in life

then survival will be ensured.

The two most fundamental things that one needs to remember is that knowledge is to

know and wisdom is to be wise. Though it is imperative to remember that wisdom is greater than

knowledge it is also important to remember that the two go hand in hand. One must have both

knowledge and wisdom to be successful. Only a fool would let pass all the easily accessible

knowledge exposed to us today however, so many fail to utilize it in the right manner.
Reference:

www.quora.com

Oxford English Dictionary

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/wisdom

www.thewisespot.com