A CONVERSATION - WISDOM AMPULE – FROM SUDHANSHU

A CONVERSATION -

WISDOM AMPULE – FROM SUDHANSHU

NAMRATA – Good Morning …! Sitting pretty cool .. !!

SUDHANSHU - Yes I am generally cool ..!! GOD IS COOL – I AM COOL !!!

NAMRATA – You go through so much difficulties – unmeasurable – but still you are very cool – What is it that keeps you going ??

SUDHANSHU – Wisdom … !!

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NAMRATA – People get destroyed because of lack of wisdom.

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SUDHANSHU – Lack of Wisdom … Not only wisdom but lack of positive wisdom.

NAMRATA - What is wisdom ?? - Some people have it some don’t have it at all !?

SUDHANSHU - Wisdom I was reflecting yesterday is use of one’s intelligence, creativity, and knowledge as mediated by positive ethical values toward the achievement of a common good and striking a balance in many aspects of our life for example (1) intrapersonal, (2) interpersonal, and (3) extrapersonal interests, over the (a) short and (b) long terms

NAMRATA – That is the long list of components of wisdom .. !

?SUDHANSHU - Let us examine all of these aspects of life -

First, wise decisions do not just require intelligence and explicit knowledge, they typically draw on or tacit, or implicit, knowledge gained through experience as well. The term tacit knowledge describes knowledge that is: (1) implicit, or acquired without instructional support or even conscious awareness, (2) procedural, or “knowing how” rather than “knowing what,” and (3) instrumental to obtaining a particular goal. Tacit knowledge allows people to appreciate the nuances of a given situation that are not obtainable from any formalized, or even verbalized, set of rules. Tacit knowledge is not a substitute for other types of knowledge, such as declarative or explicit procedural knowledge. Rather, tacit knowledge helps to inform wise decision making in combination with other types of explicit knowledge. It provides the advantage to a seasoned diplomat over a freshman student in political science.

NAMRATA – What is this Balance thing in Wisdom

SUDHANSHU - Wisdom - draws heavily on the idea of balance: the balance among multiple interests, immediate and lasting consequences, and environmental responses. What are these different interests and responses? Intrapersonal interests affect only the individual. They have to do with one’s own sense of identity and may include such things as the desire for self-actualization, popularity, prestige, power, prosperity, or pleasure. Interpersonal interests involve other people. They relate not only to one’s sense of self but also to desirable relationships with others. Extrapersonal interests are those that affect a wider organization, community, country, or environment. In addition to multiple interests, the consequences of each decision are assessed in order to balance short- and long-term objectives.

Importantly, the balance I talk in the theory of wisdom does not mean that each interest, consequence, or response is weighted equally. The relative “weightings” are determined by the extent to which a particular alternative contributes to the achievement of a common good.

NAMRATA - What is the role of values in WISDOM

SUDHANSHU - Choosing the right balance depends on one’s system of ethical values. In fact, positive ethical values can, or at least should, lie at the core of wise decision making, and not only in the balance theory described here. I read Csikszentmihalyi in which he says - “wisdom becomes the best guide for what is the summum bonum, or ‘supreme good’ and also considers “moral feelings and ethical evaluations (right–wrong or bad–good judgments) of motives and possible acts (e.g., morality)” as an important component of wisdom. I often see in practical life, positive ethical values not only establish what constitutes the common good, they also influence the relative weightings of the various interests, conflicting consequences, and alternative responses to environment.

NAMRATA – I think the central place of positive ethical values brings up the question of who determines what the “right” positive ethical values are. We know that people’s ethical values differ in different cultures and at different points in history. In fact, our own democratic values dictate that we respect others’ differences in deciding what is right or wrong. But certain ethical values seem to transcend cultures and the world’s great ethical systems, such as honesty, reciprocity, fairness, and justice. With this background one should face the problem.

SUDHANSHU - When faced with a problem, wise individuals rely on their ethical values and knowledge to help them find a solution that balances conflicting intrapersonal, interpersonal, and extra- personal interests over short and long terms. This conceptual model of wisdom, however, is not merely an esoteric intellectual exercise. Rather, it is oriented toward action. Applying relevant ethical values and knowledge, together with considering multiple interests and consequences, must lead to choosing a particular behaviour. Although this balance theory of wisdom cannot determine a wise answer to any problem, it can help to assess how well a particular solution meets the theory specifications in a given context. It’s all contextual.

NAMRATA – How does wisdom augment wise action ??

SUDHANSHU - It could be rightly argued that formulating a wise solution to a problem may not necessarily lead to actually acting on it. It describes several strategies for confronting behaviours that one considers unwise, but nevertheless finds too irresistible to abandon. For example, behaviours such as impulsiveness, procrastination, indulgence, or indecisiveness can be diminished and even eliminated with the use of deliberate conditioning and self-management techniques.

Considering the complexity of the theoretical framework, and the possible obstacles to finding wise solutions and acting wisely, I think schools should teach in a manner to increase wise thinking in their students? SHOULD WE TEACH FOR WISDOM? Teaching for wisdom not only enhances students’ thinking skills—their ability to reason also.

NAMRATA – Thanks ?Sir - ?I will take leave ……

SUDHANSHU - God Bless …. !!!!

UNSELF YOURSELF

WITH MUCH LOVE –

FROM

sudhanshu

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