- NEW!
They're both tough to define, actually. To me, the difference has to do with integration: wisdom requires integration, intelligence not so much.
By integration, I mean the synchronous merging of diverse domains into a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. Getting all the pieces connected up correctly, so that they not only fit together but work together as a whole.
To be wise is to be satisfed... the wholeness of integration flows back to the subject as well as out to the world. There are plenty of intelligent people who make themselves miserable -- they can be brilliant without being integrated personally. To be wise is to be generous: that same wholeness resonates with the spirit in a way that allows one to give freely. Again, there's plenty of shewed/intelligent misers.
To be wise is to be able to see the whole and act in a way that balances many competing concerns elegantly. A person who is merely intelligent will often be much more concerned with one aspect of a problem than with another aspect, because of the lack of integration.
I guess I could go on for a couple of hours about this, but that would be intelligent... not wise! :)
An Intelligent being can prove its intelligence, by for example a test, a question-answer game... so we can say that everyone can become intelligent by studying and reading books. Or just assimilating knowledge.
But someone who is wise can understand not only the question 'how it works?', but he adds questions like 'why?'. So he tries to understand not only the working of (lets say...) the universe but he seeks also for the meaning of it. This does not have to mean that you have to be intelligent to be wise. Wisdom is assimilated from life itself and experience. To become wise you just need to go out in the world and understand not only its working but its essence and its meaning. Not its purpose, only its meaning, once you understand what it means to you, you can start to understand its meaning to others.That's why you will probably encounter more simple people who have more wisdom accumulated that the more complex ones, which want to understand first the working and then the meaning and further the purpose. It is true that on the long run those complex ones should be more wise, but i can assure you that those complex people don't have the time to look for those answers in only one lifetime... :)
One more thing, wisdom is mostly used when you have a problem, so the ability to understand what is right and what is wrong plays a big role in you quest for wisdom. So i think we can say that wisdom is the intelligence that we cannot accumulate by learning but which every one of us has to find for ourselves. And once you have done that you just need to understand the purpose of life and post it on answerbag for us to be able to understand it too. :D
A
by Marky Mark on January 7th, 2009
Thanks for your great answers.
My take;
Intelligence is the ability to understand concepts, process information/ knowledge and arrive at logical conclusions.
Wisdom is the ability to choose the correct or most probable conclusion/ make a correct or best decision when presented with a several logical possibilities...possibilities that have been arrived at using intelligence.
Therefore someone can be intelligent but lack wisdom,
whereas...
You cannot be wise if you are not intelligent.
I think Answerbaggers are seekers of wisdom...which is a noble pursuit, worthy of our time.
by ZiggyStardust on January 13th, 2010
Wisdom must be aquired through life experience.
Intelligence can be aquired from books,.
by JakobA I^_^I the alooney on January 13th, 2009
Intelligence is inventing nuclear warheads.
Wisdom is not using nucular weapons.
by awsom on January 13th, 2010
what IS the difference?
in my mind wisdom is a form of intelligence but you dont havto be particularly intelligent to be wise.
being wise means that you can really use your knowledge to help you.
inteligence is knowing the things you learn from books.
by shortie on January 7th, 2009
intelligence is knowing a lot of facts wisdom is how its used.
by Snowgoose on January 7th, 2009
You achieve wisdom when you havd had a long life filled with intelligence. ;)
by gtravels loves her life penguin on January 6th, 2009
I think of intelligence as what one knows in the head and wisdom as the combination of intelligence and life experience.
by Lemonyellow Di Vintage on January 6th, 2009
You can get intelligence for free from school and buy it later from prestigious buildings after ward but only if you're really good.
Wisdom comes with a beard.
by Motep4 on February 21st, 2010
Intelligence is the ability to process information. Wisdom is the tendency to stop an think.
by Booknight on February 14th, 2010
Intelligence is the ability to learn.
Wisdom is the ability to use what you have learned.
by fivefootfive on February 14th, 2010
I feel that intelligence involves the brain and the talent the brain possesses and grows in knowledge. Wisdom is sacred to the soul's life and is learned by life lessons and making choices based on the wisdom one possesses when making any decisions in life to make the "wise" choice down the right path for YOU.
by RosieGHM Jetpacker on January 16th, 2010
An intelligent person can think he/she is and still be whereas a person who believes him/herself to be wise never is. Happy Saturday! :)
by thatsJustme on January 15th, 2010
wisdom is using your intelligence wisely....many are intelligent (book learned) but not wise...
wisdom doesn't come from books......
by Charlie is a girl on January 13th, 2010
I don't think that their is a difference.I think that wisdom is a form of intelligence.
by The_feeling on January 13th, 2010
hmmmm wisdom is knowing how to live life. intelligence is knowing what makes us live...hope that makes sense.
by Mr. Black on January 15th, 2009
Yes I can see that. When you Say order and design It has this intent attached to it. Like someone or some other force plays a role in it all and there simply in not. My idea of intelligence is that it is a force of its own. The order would be arranging of it and design would be what we do with it. I find the word intelligence use in reference all the time like, "he or she is intelligent.", and I think are they really or is it more likely they just a product of an environment that was created to form order and design. That would be the human involvement.
I do truly appreciate your comments. I have limited time this morning so I had to be brief. thank you.
by Mr. Black on January 13th, 2009
So far all have answered this question with with human arrogance. That we are the soul beings to comprehend so it is our right to call ourselves intelligent. Intelligence happens with or without humanity. Ours is the ability to observe and identify intelligence. With the accumulated observance we gain wisdom.
by chiism1 is gone 4 good on January 6th, 2009
Wisdom is more accumalated knowledge, intelligence is like the ability to be able to use or comprehend the knowledge
by Marky Mark on January 15th, 2010
Some more answers here...
http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/1190783
ARE YOU negligent?
by shunyata on October 30th, 2010
| 1 person likes this
Is there really a thing called freedom or all we all trapped towards death?
by Kimi_T on February 4th, 2011
| 1 person likes this
If you define your own morality, then what compels you to be constant in what you currently deem to be "evil" (or "good")?
by PhileoTruth on December 8th, 2010
| 2 people like this
Lets hear opinions on why death exists at all.
by C_Anglin on January 12th, 2011
| 7 people like this
If we were all created equally does that mean we all have an equal purpose?
by pearloaf is not yelling and dreams of bal on February 22nd, 2011
| 1 person likes this
You're reading What's the difference between intelligence and wisdom?
- which can also be phrased in the following ways:
Your favorite Q&A site is on Facebook! Become a fan to connect with the ever-growing community of Answerbaggers, share your thoughts and find out what Answerbag's up to next!
Comments
I like your logic and it reflects my own experience.
by LynfromNM on January 7th, 2009
An excellent answer. Most grateful and I wish you WOULD go on about it for hours! :-)
by Marky Mark on January 7th, 2009
Hehe. Thanks. I used to do that, and discovered that I have an immense power to bore others that was previously untapped! :)
by HasntBeen on January 7th, 2009