Character Strengths And Virtues' Living: Wisdom And Knowledge

"And God said to Solomon,				& Ross, 1990; Gill, Swann, & Silvera,
Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not				1998; Swann & Gill, 1997).
asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of				This awareness of the prone
thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but				to errors and wrong judgments in the perceptions
hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself,				of persons led Gill & Swann (2004) to study
that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I				in support of an earlier study in 1984 by W.B.
have made thee king: wisdom and knowledge is				Swann that argued that "perceivers achieve
granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and				substantial pragmatic accuracy - accuracy that
wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings				facilitates the achievement of relationship-specific
have had that have been before thee, neither				interaction goals - in their social relationships" (Gill
shall there any after thee have the like" ( II				& Swann, 2004). A simplified description of
Chronicles 1:11,12).				their findings may be phrased in this manner.
				Comprehensive perception of a person in all their
King Solomon in his request to				complexities is unlikely to be achieved by any
God did not ask for riches, wealth, honour, lives				perceiver. So perceivers utilize pragmatic accuracy
of his enemies, or a long life. What he asked for				which is basically the seeking and construction of
was wisdom and knowledge for the purpose of				conceivable truths about the target person which
ruling. Though he asked for wisdom and				would assist in relationship building. But the seeking
knowledge only, he received all that he did not				and construction of conceivable truths about the
ask for more than any kings both before and				target person is dependent on the quality of their
after him. This event is a perpetual reminder that				interrelationships.
wisdom and knowledge is above and beyond gold,				Mr. A has two close
glory, and physical life longitude and yet				interrelationships, one with his son and another
encompasses all of them. It is also a reminder				with his wife. It is unlikely that Mr. A might fully
that wisdom and knowledge is a vital component				perceive or understand both of them
in the management of peoples' lives.				comprehensively. So he seeks and constructs
As a Counseling Psychologist,				helpful and believable truths to sufficiently manage
the author's interest in the domain of wisdom and				his relationships with each of them separately. His
knowledge is inclined towards an empirical study				seeking and construction of helpful and believable
that is applicable to the challenges in daily life.				truths about each of them is dependent on the
What is the definition of wisdom? Though there				quality of relationships (i.e., closeness) he has with
are many definitions and descriptions of wisdom,				each of them. . Mr. A is utilizing pragmatic
the author would like to utilize the definition of				accuracy.
Baltes & Smith (1990, p. 95), that wisdom is				Just as we cannot
an "expert-level knowledge in the fundamental				comprehensively understand all the details and
pragmatics of life." But the author would be				complexities of the individuals that we assume we
interpreting the definition differently within the				know as being close to us. We are likely only to
context of this article and in relation to other				understand the basic practicalities of life. The
associated studies. There are two key points to				practice of wisdom and openness to experiences
be noted in the definition namely, 1) Wisdom is				utilizes a "tacit knowledge" (Sternberg, 1998) to
expert-level knowledge; and 2) Wisdom covers				manage the basic practicalities of life. What is tacit
the fundamental pragmatics of life.				knowledge? In summary, tacit knowledge (i.e.,
				practical intelligence) which is acquired rather than
Wisdom is expert-level knowledge				learned knows how to behave in every particular
What is expert-level				situation to attain a desired objective.
knowledge? To understand what expert-level				In order to utilize tacit
knowledge is take an example in the field of art.				knowledge, the criteria of wisdom and openness
An expert and a novice's art evaluation,				to experiences is an antecedent component that
perception and experience would differ				cannot be ignored. Take for an example, a bus
significantly. In an interesting study entitled:				driver who suddenly finds himself in a situation in
"Knowledge-Based Assessment of Expertise in				which he is the only one around and there is no
the Arts: Exploring Aesthetic Fluency", the				time to call the emergency services to deliver a
Aesthetic fluency scale of Smith and Smith (2006)				premature birth on his bus. If he is wise and open
that evaluates art fluency and expertise was				to experience, he will utilize whatever practical
examined in relation to "fluid intelligence and the				intelligence he might possess to assist in the
Big Five dimensions of personality" (Silvia, 2007).				delivery despite any feelings of inadequacy or
The findings from the study shows the following:				fear that he might be experiencing. The following
1) Participants who were considered as experts				summary will assist in reminding the readers the
were not generally smarter; 2) They did not have				perspective of wisdom and knowledge that has
an art-related college degree; and 3) Openness to				been presented in this article.
experience were associated with aesthetic				Wisdom and knowledge is
interests, curiosity, unconventionality, and				reflected in openness to experiences that utilizes
creativity (McCrae, 2007), that predicted aesthetic				acquired tacit knowledge (i.e., practical intelligence)
fluency or expertise.				to enable individuals or groups to know how to
What are the implications of				behave in every particular situation to attain the
the above study? Expert-level knowledge is not				desired objectives without having latent prejudices
necessarily a reference to people who possess				and practicing overt discriminations.
college or university degrees. But people with				The author would like to
Expert-level knowledge are those who open to				conclude by leaving this self-repot questionnaire
experiences like aesthetic interests, curiosity,				for the reader's assessment of themselves and
unconventionality, and creativity. The key words				for reflecting upon their own answers.
here are openness to experiences. Do you want
wisdom and knowledge? Do you want to have				Self-Report Questionnaire
Expert-level knowledge? If the answers to all				1. Do I consider myself to be intelligent
the questions are yes, then you need to have				or wise?
openness to experiences. What is the opposite of				2. Do I consider myself as an authority?
openness to experiences? Have you heard and				a. If the answer is yes,
understood the word dogmatism? Look around				am I an authority that knows it all?
you! You can see dogmatism in people, beliefs,				b. How do I justify my
and behaviors in every domain of life regardless				know- it - all claim?
of age, gender, nationality, social, economic,				c. Can I be wrong in
cultural, religious and political beliefs. What are the				my justification?
symptoms and indicators of dogmatism?				d. Do I still need to learn
Symptoms or indicators of				and grow?
dogmatism.				3. Do I consider myself to be religious?
There is an assumption that				a. If the answer is yes,
dogmatism is found more among the religious				am I better than others?
domain. The author calls the foregoing assumption				b. How do I justify my
a misconception as dogmatism is found in all				claim?
domains even those that claim to be atheistic				c. Can I be wrong in my
(Ellis, 2000). Among the many symptoms or				justification?
indicators of dogmatism, the most common and				4. Do I consider myself to be spiritual?
outstanding ones are prejudice and discrimination.				a. If the answer is yes,
What is prejudice? Prejudice is				am I better than others?
the latent "negative attitude" towards someone,				b. How do I justify my
something or a group (Weiten & Lloyd,				claim?
2006). Why causes prejudice? Rsin &				c. Can I be wrong in
Spenser (1997) have shown in their studies that				my justification?
prejudice is a form of affirmation and defense				5. Am I open to experiences in all of life's
(by derogating others) of an individual or group's				domains?
self-image that has been threatened by a				a. If the answer is no, why
perceived negative feedback.				am I not open?
What does this mean? It				b. If the answer is yes, to
means that an individual or group that practices				what kind of experiences I am open to?
prejudice perceives a threat to its self-image that				6. Am I dogmatic?
is triggered by a negative feedback (whether real				7. How do I justify my dogmatism?
or perceived). In order to bolster their self-image,				8. Can I be wrong in my justification of
they treat those who are perceived as a threat in				my dogmatism?
derogatory manner. What about discrimination?				9. Do I harbor latent prejudices?
Discrimination is the overt unfair behaviors,				10. How do I justify my prejudices?
towards those who are seen as a threat. One				11. Can I be wrong in my justification of my
salient point to be noted is that all who practice				prejudices?
discriminations have prejudice. But not all who				12. Do I practice discrimination?
have prejudice practice discriminations (Weiten				13. How do I justify my discriminations?
& Lloyd, 2006). A general observation of the				14. Can I be wrong in my justification of my
foregoing salient point is that profit-minded				discriminations?
businesspersons especially in a multi-cultural				15. Do I have absolute beliefs or values?
business environment avoid discrimination even				16. How do I justify my absolute beliefs or
though they may be prejudiced against a				values?
particular ethnic group. The profit factor seems to				17. Can I be wrong in my justification of my
restraint discriminatory behaviors even when				absolute beliefs or values?
prejudice is present.				18. Do I comprehensively understand myself?
Dogmatism has to do with				19. Do I comprehensively understand those
belief-disbelief systems.				around me?
Most forms of dogmatism				20. Do I need to change, modify or revamp
have to do with belief-disbelief systems. Belief				my thinking?
systems are part of humanity even before				a. If the answer is no, why
conception to after physical death. As with				not?
dogmatism, belief-disbelief systems exist				b. If the answer is yes, to
regardless of age, gender, nationality, social,				what kind of thinking do I need to change, modify
economic, cultural, religious and political beliefs. It is				or revamp?
the belief-disbelief systems that are part of your				21. Do I need to change, modify or revamp
decision making processes that determines your				my behaviors?
latent motivations and overt behaviors that may				a. If the answer is no, why
eventually be beneficial or harmful (Clay, 1996, pp.				not?
1. 48). It is not so much of whether you believe				b. If the answer is yes, to
or disbelieve something that has impact on your				what kind of behaviors do I need to change,
life and on those around you. It is more vital				modify or revamp?
under which category (open or closed systems)				22. Are all my answers to the above questions
that your belief-disbelief systems have their				truthful and sincere?
foundations.				a. If the answer is no, why
Open or closed systems.				not?
Why is an open or closed				�
system foundational to your belief-disbelief				i. Do I want
systems? And what difference does it make? To				to re-answer the questions again?
answer the first question, the key word is				�
"absolutism" (Ellis, 1983). Closed systems have				ii. If I do
absolutism as their core component in which a				not want to re-answer, what are the reasons?
belief-disbelief system is totally rigid, inflexible and				b. If the answer is yes, are
would not allow any form of modifications or				you sure?
changes. It is fixed permanently in mental and				�
psychological concrete. The associated problems				i. Do I
related to absolutism are like prejudice and				want to re-consider my answer?
discrimination (Ellis, 2000). Open systems do not				�
practice absolutism and therefore are not rigid,				ii. If I do
inflexible and would allow for modifications or				not want to reconsider, what are the reasons?
changes.
Thus, the position of your				REFERENCE
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will determine your own behavior and how it				psychology of wisdom and its ontogenesis. In R. J.
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manner you are able to: 1) distinguish information				religion continues to grow. APA Monitor, 27, p. 48.
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and wrong judgments (Dunning, Griffin, Milojkovic,

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Character Strengths And Virtues' Living: Wisdom And Knowledge

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