LAST time we talked about the role wisdom plays in answering the six basic success questions of life. We also saw how wisdom can be acquired through seeking and acquiring knowledge. A man of wisdom is a man that is knowledgeable.

However, we need to graduate from the acquisition of knowledge to having insight and critical apprehension of things, issues and situations. This is a deeper level of wisdom than mere acquisition of knowledge.

Insight and a critical apprehension of things, issues and situations will help us to choose the right course of action in any given situation. It will help us to evaluate, distinguish and test things so we can come to a right decision. When we have insight and a critical comprehension of things we will be able to put two and two together, confusion becomes a very temporary thing.

There is still a higher level of wisdom which is the strategic, quick and correct perception of things. This is the ability to outline practical solutions in a way that we can know what ought to be done and what not ought to be done. When we walk in this dimension we will never be at a loss as to what to do.

Wisdom can be acquired in many ways. The first and most crucial is to have a deep desire for wisdom. We must have a strong aversion for foolishness (the opposite of wisdom) which should drive us to have a strong attraction to wisdom. It is futile and a waste of resources to fill a vessel that is full – we need to be empty to be able to have our fill of wisdom. When we approach life, issues and situations with a-know-it-all-attitude we deny ourselves the opportunity to embrace wisdom. We must always have an open mind as bias shuts the door of our minds to receive anything. We need to go after knowledge. We must seize every opportunity we have to learn more about whatever we are involved in. Knowledge is the platform on which wisdom stands.

Wisdom can also be acquired through association and observation. As human beings we are social animals – we need meaningful relationships to survive and thrive. No relationship is neutral – we are either being influenced or we are influencing somebody. We, therefore, need to consciously cultivate, nurture and relate with wise people so we can be influenced by their wisdom. Everybody we meet or interact with is a book to be read. We should learn to read people’s lives and glean wisdom from it.

We also need to have mentors, instructors and “dream facilitators” who we have regular interaction with in our bid to acquire wisdom. We acquire wisdom by asking them questions. As we get answers to our questions we benefit from the waters drawn from their well of wisdom. A meaningful interaction with a mentor can fast track our lives – what took them years to learn, we can learn in hours by just “sitting and listening at their feet.” We need to understand that wisdom can be learnt by instruction. Wisdom is acquired by learning so we must make study a habit. Life is a school and we must be students for life in life’s school of wisdom. We must make a conscious commitment to do away with foolishness and wholeheartedly embrace wisdom.

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