The relationship between age and wisdom

The relationship between age and wisdom is one many people have pondered since humankind began. Their relentless quest for wisdom on many different levels, has often led them to the question, “Does age really bring wisdom?”          

If true, then in order to obtain wisdom, one would only have to age.

When would aging begin?

Would it start at the time of birth, in early or later childhood, in one’s teen years, or when one becomes a young, middle-aged or older adult?

Obviously, one ages from the moment of conception onward.

It would appear to be an erroneous assumption to conclude that wisdom starts at any specific age. For example, if one suggests that wisdom begins at the age of six months, that implies every child less than six months of age has no wisdom, which is not be true depending upon one’s definition of wisdom. If wisdom only begins at age eighty, many of us would be in trouble, as not everyone lives that long or longer.

Wisdom may be something like love that lies dormant within the heart and mind of every human being, regardless of his or her age. In other words, each one of us has wisdom potential inherent within us, regardless of what age we argue wisdom begins.

The World English Dictionary defines wisdom as “the ability to think and act utilizing knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense, and insight.” (1)

Even the youngest infant can demonstrate understanding, as he or she responds to his or her mother. The oldest person demonstrates the same abilities too. These abilities can increase with age, or decrease.

If one asks whether there an exact age at which one can have wisdom, no one can really answer that question.

There are other understandings of the word wisdom, too. For example, wisdom is “accumulated knowledge, erudition, or enlightenment.” (2) Each of these has can be interpreted within its own context.

The word wisdom, in the archaic sense as “a wise saying, or wise sayings or teachings” (3) has other implications. One might suggest sayings or teachings may be regarded as wise, but according to whose judgment? Human judgment can be erroneous.

According to this definition, or in this light, age may play an important role, as one can acquire more and more of these kinds of sayings or teachings, as one’s age increases. They may also be forgotten at any time. 

Another problem herein lies in the reality that not everyone ages graciously. Thus, not everyone accumulates wise sayings or teachings, or if they do, they may not employ them in such a way that others are able to recognize them as wisdom.  

The World English Dictionary offers an ‘obsolete’ understanding of the word wisdom, using it within the context “soundness of mind”. (4)

In our current era, the soundness of mind factor associated with age is becoming increasingly questionable, as more and more individuals experience memory loss diagnosed as Alzheimers’ Disease, or even dementia.

Note that this is not necessarily something new or different in the history of humankind. Senility and associated memory loss, is as old as the history of man. Even the wisest, elderly person can suffer memory loss, or have distorted memory that is a temporary or permanent condition.

Matthew Arnold’s quote, “Thou waitest for the spark from heaven!” (5) may resolve the issue of the relationship between wisdom and age, as this interpretation of the word wisdom leads one into an understanding of wisdom in terms of ‘enlightenment’ or ‘revelation’.

This kind of wisdom is not limited to the elderly, as it may be evident in younger individuals like Paul, in the Bible. It may also occur in the case of children, like Samuel, also in the Biblical context, but is not likely to be the kind of wisdom infants acquire at that age.

In other words, age is not necessarily a factor in acquiring wisdom.

“Does age really bring wisdom?”

If so, how many years should one expect to wait? 

In the Biblical context, God’s Holy Spirit brings divine Wisdom on a higher plane, to those who ‘wait upon the Lord’. Wisdom is found in every culture in association with the Divine, but not necessarily always in association with one’s age.

1. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/wisdom

2. Ibid.

3.Ibid.

4. Ibid.

5. http://www.poemhunter.com/matthew-arnold/quotations/