Education and wisdom are sometimes confused to mean the same thing, but there are differences in both of them. You will be surprised to know that someone can be very educated, yet might also make a couple of foolish decisions. Yet someone else may not even have any formal education or maybe a little of it, yet they display high level of wisdom in the way they think and live. It is true that education may give you knowledge, but wisdom is actually what teaches the understanding and practical application of the knowledge. Knowing the difference between education and wisdom is very fundamental for personal growth and success in life.
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In the street where I lived before, there was this professor who lived there too. This man was being paid well, obviously because of his position and the qualifications he has. But you will always observe him making some very careless financial decisions. In fact, before the month was over, he would be owing the shop woman that owns a supermarket down the street. When the salary comes, he will offset the bill and the circle will be repeated again. With his education and academic prowess, it did not teach him how to manage his finances well. He obviously lacked wisdom in that particular aspect of his life.
Yet, in the same street, there was this woman who was barely educated. From her story, he stopped school at secondary, yet over the years, she had accumulated so much wisdom, even beyond what may be taught in school. She managed her resources very well even though she was not paid too much. She also learnt how to manage conflict, and she also took honest advice and feedback even from the younger ones. From what she was earning as a support staff, she was able to start up a side hustle. The business grew to the point the she started employing people to help her. Before the time I left the neighborhood, she had well over 5 staff, including the people with college degree.
It is true that education is good, because it teaches facts, theories, skills, and the "how to" of life. This often comes through schooling, reading books, training, and other academic experiences. Of course, education helps one to understand the concept of science, mathematics, art, technology, and many more aspects of life. This can also open doors to some opportunities. However, there is something that goes way beyond just information; it is called wisdom. This is the ability to apply the knowledge that you have correctly, so that you will be able to make sound and good decisions. This also involves understanding people, situations, timing, and even consequences. Wisdom does not only show what someone knows, but how they have applied what they know in a practical situation.
Take this instance, an educated person may be taught that anger can damage relationships, so they already know it. But a wise person will know how to control their anger when the time comes for it. An educated person may understand the principles of finance and the related theories, but a wise person will know how to manage money responsibly in order to avoid unnecessary problems. It is wisdom that will turn your knowledge into practical living, and into results.
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One of the major things that differentiate education from wisdom is that education can be taught directly, while wisdom is oftentimes acquired over time through experience, observation, interaction with people, and through reflection. Wisdom also grows when you learn from mistakes, listen to advice, and understand deeply the true meaning of life. One of the things that I have observed in life is that some of the wisest people are not necessarily the people with the most academic qualifications, but people who have learnt vital life lessons through experiences.
It is worthy to note that the best approach in life is to go after both education and wisdom. You do not have to sacrifice one for the other because both of them are equally important. Education will give you the knowledge and the opportunities you need, while you need wisdom to be able to use the opportunities properly and to apply the knowledge in the right way.
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