Wisdom is the first virtue, and it seems appropriate we start the blog with this critical virtue to build everything else upon. I have often thought about wisdom and wondered how it differs to knowledge. In truth, they are connected, but perhaps not synonymous. The Collins dictionary defines wisdom as “the ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting”. However, knowledge is referred to as “information gained through experience, reasoning, or acquaintance”.

Knowledge can be present without wisdom, but wisdom can only be found in the wake of knowledge. It is like the sym- biotic relationship between a parent and child. An adult can exist childless, but a child cannot exist without first the adult.

Knowledge opens the door to wisdom.

I have met many knowledgeable people throughout my life’s journey, however, encounters of true wisdom have been much less frequent. It is as if the evolution of wisdom from knowledge is the frontier explored outside of the structure of lessons and classrooms, and without academic texts. Wisdom requires the knowledge of ‘how’ something works but more importantly, the subjective judgement of ‘when’ to use it, which cannot be acquired so easily.

For example: you may know how to use hypnosis; it is not a particularly difficult subject to learn the basics of. Still, the real skill lies within the wisdom of knowing when to use a specific technique or approach, at an undisclosed and sub- jective point in time with a client who is entirely unique. Walking the path of knowledge is a much shorter and well- documented journey than the path to wisdom; perhaps this is why so many people retire content after arriving at ‘knowing’?

Think about the elements of your life you might consider yourself knowledgeable in and ask yourself the following questions in search for the presence of wisdom:

“Is this only knowledge I possess? Is there also wisdom within the knowledge of this subject?”