introduction to the Wise Words exercises
Overview
If all your friends jumped off a bridge, would you too?
- Depends on the bridge, the friends, and the reason.
- Sometimes it’s best to jump. Wisdom is in knowing when.
This is a short course about practical wisdom using wise words as clues as to conduct.
- Practical wisdom — the ability to judge which action is most appropriate under the circumstances.
- Wise words — like ‘share the credit, for a rising tide floats all boats.’
Wise words are helpful sayings, brief and general.
- For example, to improve, ‘look where you slipped, not where they fell.’
- Knowing wise words won’t make you wise. Living them might.
Wise words are short statements based on long experience.
- Like: ‘act your age, not your urge.’
- Or: ‘if you’ve nothing to say, say it.’
Wisdom is knowing what simply makes sense.
- ‘We lie not to deceive others, but to conceal truth we won’t accept.’
- ‘A contented person is able to enjoy the scenery along a detour.’
Wisdom is knowing what to do. Virtue lies in doing it.
- A virtue is a positive character trait, like courage and kindness.
- Wisdom is what a virtuous person would do.
A person of virtue acts from praiseworthy habits.
- Such habits guide knowing the sensible thing to do.
- A wise person acts from virtue, lives by wisdom.
By any synonym, wise words are sage advice.
- Adage, aphorism, maxim, motto, and proverb.
- Collectively, they are wise sayings or words of wisdom.
Saying may need to be put in words more meaningful to you.
- In figuring out what a saying means (e.g., “nothing ventured, nothing gained”), paraphrase it (“some rewards require risk”).
- It may also help to find an example (“no lottery ticket, no jackpot”).
Each topic is organized around a positive character trait. Traits include classic virtues, such as honour and courage.
- They also include practical qualities, such as being able to adapt or design.
- The trait is described and an example given to clarify the concept.
There are short case studies related to that trait.
- Decide which saying is best suited to the scenario.
- Determine what course of action the selected saying suggests. In other words, in the end, who is to do what.
Ideas don’t work unless we do; wisdom turns ideas into action.
- Wisdom is knowing the sensible thing to do, what makes sense.
- Sometimes it makes sense to jump off the bridge with our friends.
Materials
The sections of these exercises loosely follows the classic work of Christopher Peters and Martin Seligman, Character Strengths and Virtues (which, at the time of this writing, is available online).
Modules
Goals
- Compare practical wisdom with intellectual wisdom.
- Assess the merits of topically-related words of wisdom
- Identify maxims to incorporate in ones own life
- Translate words of wisdom into a wise course of action
- Develop a working description of living a virtuous life
