Wisdom

My own definition is similar but has a jazzier tone, more in line with the Less Foolishism my readers are accustomed to:

Existential wayfinding.

“Existential” here means what is deeply important to one’s life, and “wayfinding” means finding one’s way. I find the literature on ordinary wayfinding, the kind where one navigates physical environments,... See more

Wisdom refers to the slow accumulation of personal values that work well for people living in different kinds of ways.

A recent study found that “Wisdom is the best predictor of life satisfaction in both men and women and can offset the influence of negative age on life satisfaction. Wisdom has a greater influence on life satisfaction in older adulthood than health, socioeconomic status, financial situation, environment, or social engagement.”

Thirty years of wisdom... See more

A simpler, more elegant definition, still compatible with Grossmann’s, comes from Tom Morgan of LE:

“Know what to do, and when.”

I love parsimonious definitions, which is why I favour Tom’s over the academic ones.