Tapping into Wisdom
We often use the term wisdom or refer to someone as a wise person. What is wisdom? How is it different from knowledge?
Even the term knowledge is often confused with information. Are the three terms synonymous or is there a difference?
In the dictionary you will find wisdom defined in a few ways. One such definition is “the soundness of an action or decision with regard to the application of experience, knowledge, and good judgment “.
A casual conversation at home today made me ponder upon this term that we use so frequently and loosely. We were having a discussion about a wedding in a friend’s family . The conversation drifted towards issue of expenses on videography and such other stuff. I was asked to guess the cost of hiring a great videographer. The impulse within me was to disapprove exorbitant spending on this item but immediately another part of me checked the impulse right there before uttering a word. One indiscreet word spoken and it can reach the ears of another person and create misunderstandings and hurt that can be hard to wipe out. I was able to see this inner dialogue between two lines of thinking.
And in that instant I recognized what wisdom meant !
To foresee and control an action with good understanding of its consequences is wisdom !! But that isn’t all. Underlying the consideration for consequences was also love and caring for the people who may be hurt by my unfavorable opinion on the subject. The love plus awareness of potential consequences is what shaped the thinking to hold off expression of the initial thought. It was a rein of sorts.
Life is fast paced. Especially at work. The brain is employed in sorting out what’s at hand, carrying it out efficiently and getting home in a timely manner. A lot of activities happen on autopilot mode such as filling a prescription, responding to a patient message, reviewing a test result. Decision making is involved but it does not necessarily require all faculties of the brain. There is vigilance, honesty, integrity and non maleficience involved in these tasks.
It is more complex when having direct interaction with patients and/or their families or other personnel in the line of duty. There is a “professional “, trained and experienced brain in that scenario that comes into play. There is more a sense of duty, obligation that’s active in that setting. There is basic goodwill and compassion but thats not the same as the natural love that underlies personal relationships towards family and friends. That quality of love is lacking in professional relationships. This shortcoming combined with the pressure of time often precludes a perfect, or what I would call a divine experience. For experience of the highest order there must be wisdom and I must acknowledge, if I have to be really truthful, that not always does wisdom direct the spoken word during the day’s work. What we ordinarily call “ slip of tongue “ or “misspoke”, is speech that is not backed by wisdom. Many instances of dissent and miscommunication could be avoided had wisdom been activated during a conversation. Perfection is nothing but recruiting wisdom consistently every moment of our waking state. Which in turn means awakening love for all beings just like how we feel naturally towards our family and friends. That is the proverbial third eye which sees beyond what eyes can see.
It was an eye opener today and a good exercise to dissect the thinking while it came to the forefront of awareness. Hopefully remembering this lesson will change the quality of interactions in at least small ways for me even when functioning within the constraints of time.
Saree : a repeat Printed tussar silk.
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