Knowledge versus Wisdom

"The wise are not learned, the learned are not wise."—Lao Tze.

A wise person may not have much knowledge but a knowledgeable person is not wise. Wisdom is something that is intuitive—firsthand experience. Knowledge is based on words and descriptions. Knowledge can be acquired, shared, developed further, and transferred. Knowledge is not the same as wisdom. Wisdom requires insight and this "eureka!" cannot be taught by others. We can only help others on the road by explaining and sharing some knowledge about the wisdom.

We can convert wisdom into knowledge but this does not mean that the essence of the wisdom can be converted as well. It can only be described and illustrated with various symbols, anecdotes, and metaphors. Describing and telling about the road is not the road itself.

Often we want to gain more knowledge. We feel that we are lacking something and by acquiring some more knowledge we can get rid of our shortcomings. This is the pattern our thinking and behavior take. We need to attend a seminar, listen to a guru, or read a book. How many times do we stop to think and consider what we are really lacking and what the purpose of this knowledge "filling" is before we actually do anything? Because if we want to get better at something, then we should also make sure that we really gain the wisdom at the end of the knowledge acquisition. Otherwise, the whole exercise would be time wasted from the wisdom point of view.

How do we distinguish whether we have actually learned anything by acquiring more knowledge? Because wisdom requires insight this means that it is also reflected in our behavior and actions. Knowledge is converted to wisdom only if we are acting differently after getting the knowledge. This might sound more complicated than it really is. We can have a complete theoretical knowledge of how to drive a car but this does not mean that we can drive a car. Knowing the function of all driving instruments and traffic rules does not make us excellent drivers. We have to turn the knowledge into behavioral patterns and actions that are observable. Knowledge is easy to get but wisdom is a rare art.

Wisdom requires active participation and action. Learning can be done passively. It is harder to create a theory than describe one that is already formulated. We have a habit of learning more knowledge. The underlying assumption is that this knowledge is converted into wisdom as well. Unfortunately, the outcome is very often the opposite. The knowledge acquisition is our own illusion we so dutifully repeat time after time. We feel important and that we are doing something very meaningful and significant by learning something. For us, doing is often more important than the actual results. This is the unfortunate conclusion we must draw by observing the world around us. We love our illusion of knowledge and ignore the most important thing—the real deeds and outcomes.