For some reason it’s Monday again. Hope you all had a brilliant weekend. Science shows it’s good to start the week scratching your head (no it doesn’t), so here we go:
A man marries 10 happy wives, but he is not a polygamist.
How is that possible?
An answer, as usual, at the end.
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I drink and I know things
… and that makes you knowledgable, Tyrion Lannister, but not wise.
Would you rather know a lot of things, but not be able to quite piece them together in a practical environment OR know a few things, but understand their connection to the world well?
That’s how I’d define the difference between knowledge and wisdom.
Knowing a lot of things can often make you seem wise. Knowing this fact makes you wise.
What a conundrum.
To illustrate, it’s a common used tactics in debates - simply state specific information and people will think you master the subject and understand all its intricacies.
This debate tactic, for example, is widely recognized as being first used in the 1960 Nixon - Kennedy presidential debate.
It’s easier to be knowledgable.
Wisdom means having a deeper understanding of a topic in order to find insights about the world.
A lot of people brush their teeth. Maybe you know the exact statistic. That’s knowledge.
People use toothpaste in a certain way. How to make use of that behavior is wisdom/insight. Here’s a the full story if you’re curious.
Use this difference however it suits you. But know you can (and should) only be wise on a couple of topics - don’t mistake your ability to state facts/correct information with wisdom.
Answer: the man is not the groom, but a priest.