KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM

Wisdom and knowledge, both recurring themes in Bhagwat Geeta, are related but not synonymous. The dictionary defines wisdom as “the ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting.”  Knowledge, on the other hand, is “information gained through experience, reasoning, or acquaintance.” Knowledge can exist without wisdom, but not the other way around. One can be knowledgeable without being wise. Knowledge is knowing how to use a gun; wisdom is knowing when to use it and when to keep it holstered. Wisdom is the fitting application of knowledge. Knowledge understands the light has turned red; wisdom applies the brakes. Knowledge sees the quicksand; wisdom walks around it. Knowledge memorizes the Vedas and the Upanishads, wisdom utilizes the essence of these scriptures to enrich the life of one’s own other’s!

Knowledge is merely having clarity of facts and truths, while wisdom is the practical ability to make consistently good decisions in life. We often use words we think we understand, until someone asks us to define them. Then we are faced with the startling realization that we're—well, not quite sure; not definite; well, it's kind of like this; or God, I think I need a dictionary. Even then, sometimes, the dictionary just doesn't quite fill the bill. We read the definition and find that something is still missing. And that's the way with wisdom.

Lord Alfred Tennyson has very rightly said that "Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers". Knowledge is gathered from learning and education, while most say that wisdom is gathered from day-to-day experiences and is a state of being wise. But who wants to be wise today? People want to be other things instead - practical, successful, rich, respected - that don't involve wisdom, which is reserved for old people, the wise gray heads of society. And yet the way someone's life turns out depends on making wise choices. Every culture that values consciousness also values wisdom. T.S. Eliot lamented "Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?" And that is so true today. Google is the answer to all our quests in life and this source of information diarrhea has deluged the traditional source of knowledge, and wisdom appears to be hit even worse! We are gradually loosing the passion for solving problems but instead looking for the solved answers on the internet!

Wisdom and knowledge are linked. Wisdom is enhanced by knowledge and the ability to acquire knowledge effectively. But wisdom is also the ability to use knowledge in a practical and productive manner. Knowledge is often considered to be "externally generated," meaning that it comes primarily from outside sources, such as books, classroom lectures, videos, etc. On the other hand, wisdom is deemed to come primarily from "internal sources," meaning one's own introspective thinking, analysis, and judgment. Wisdom cannot be acquired and applied without knowledge, but knowledge isn't necessarily guided or enhanced by wisdom. An example of applying knowledge can be found in the development of nuclear bombs, which were the end result of thousands or perhaps millions of steps. Following this development, the decision to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki is sometimes understood as being wise, under the notion that these acts shortened World War II and thus saved thousands or even millions of lives. In terms of knowledge, the end result (the atom bomb being made) is obvious, but in terms of whether applying that knowledge was wise or not is still unclear and subject to intense debate.

Contrary to the popular belief, the wise do not always preach……though they are infinitely more capable of doing so. As Oliver Wendell Holmes in The Poet at the Breakfast-Table says "It is the province of knowledge to speak and it is the privilege of wisdom to listen” Wise people have accurate, perceptive insights into human behavior and understand how things work. They are observers of human nature, are master psychologists with excellent emotional intelligence. They have learned what they know from real life experience, not from academic study. They generally keep what they know to themselves, but are willing to share what they know with certain individuals. They are available to give advice to open-minded learners. They have a talent for asking questions that lead to new understanding. Are conscious of themselves, and can communicate what they know when they choose to. Knowledge is knowing the indication of a surgical procedure, but wisdom is when choosing not to operate even when indicated, because the risk associated with surgery may be more the risks associated with the disease.

So how does a person acquire wisdom? It develops from life-long, child-like curiosity and a playful spirit. Wise people are happy rather than hostile, no matter how badly life has treated them. You gain wisdom when you ask questions, explore, want to know how thing work, and learn valuable lessons from rough experiences.  The application of knowledge is often a matter of finding or knowing the right facts, meaning that there is a distinct difference between the "right" and "wrong" facts. In contrast, wisdom often requires much more than facts to perceive and choose the "right" action or to avoid the "wrong" action. The factors involved may include speculation, feelings, and moral or ethical values. In this general sense, applying knowledge tends to be a much simpler process.

Wisdom is the ability to use the best means at the best time to accomplish the best ends. It is not merely a matter of information or knowledge but of skillful and practical application of the truth to the ordinary events of life. It is awareness to be sensitive to this situation, to this person, uninfluenced by any corruption of the past. The knowledgeable but unwise hold out a false sense of happiness rooted in money, possessions, and status, and tell us that the best way to avoid the painful side of life is to devote hours to various distractions. But the world's wisdom traditions teach something very different, that there is a level of the mind where the potential for creativity, intelligence, peace, and joy is unlimited.