How to Acquire Wisdom

While it is true that wisdom comes from experience, experience doesn't necessarily bring about wisdom. Some live a lifetime acquiring very little wisdom, while others grow wise at an early age.

Wisdom is simply a combination of good judgment and common sense. An accumulation of knowledge does not constitute wisdom. Knowing the facts does little good if you don't know how to apply them.

Most wisdom is gained by learning from our mistakes, applying what we have learned from them to other areas of our lives. If you have lost but learned, you have gained. But some never learn from their mistakes, repeating their errors over and over. Examining your mistakes and learning from them increases your wisdom.

Those who constantly blame their mistakes on anyone or anything other than themselves aren't learning from their mistakes because in their minds they don't make mistakes. Such as a situation where they're late for work. Rather than blame it on the fact that they were careless, perhaps slow in getting ready or had to stop for gas because they neglected it earlier, they blame the traffic or weather or anything other then themselves. Persons such as these are not wise.

"How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you."

"Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil." (Prov. 1:22)

People who listen are wise. The one who listens halfway, thinking the whole time about how they are going to respond, is unwise. They are eager to jump into the conversation without getting all the facts. The bible says, (in essence) that even a heathen appears intelligent if he remains silent.

"Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding." (Prov. 4:7)

There are situations when a person doesn't have the luxury of time and has to act quickly. But under normal circumstances, a person who stops to think before speaking or taking action is wise. Fools rush in, but a wise person studies the situation before acting.

Science says, "The beginning of wisdom is, I do not know." The Bible says, "The beginning of wisdom is the fear of God."

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