What makes a person seem wise?
October 1, 2024 – I’d really like to live in “you and me” instead of a “you versus me” kind of world.
I’ve always believed that we have more in common than we have different.
Yet we are so often – too often – bombarded with how different we are with people from another country, neighborhood, skin color, etc.
A house divided against itself cannot stand.
A world divided against itself cannot stand.
A fascinating global study shows that contrary to what most people think – myself included – people around the world associate the same two characteristics with wisdom: reflective orientation and socio-emotional awareness.
How our World Defines “Wisdom”
What I find fascinating is that the same two dimensions were highlighted by all participants: reflective orientation and socio-emotional awareness. The conclusion from this research is that the people we all believe are wisest balance their ability to reason with being emotionally and socially aware.
These findings were based on participants from 16 different cultures in 12 countries on five continents. However, what stands out to me about this study is that they went beyond the typical global study: they also involved researchers from around the world from 34 different fields including philosophy, psychology, anthropology, social science and psychometrics!
Anyone who has read my books knows that I am a huge fan of inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary research. We cannot talk about political leadership purely from the political science angle – we need to include sociology, history, anthropology, economics and more.
Going Deeper
Taking all the insights from the participants, the researchers defined these aspects of wisdom as follows:
“Reflective orientation is about people who think before acting, carefully consider different perspectives, and use logic and past experiences to guide their decisions. They’re the type of person who keeps their cool in difficult situations, taking time to weigh all the options before making a move.”
“The second is socio-emotional awareness. Wise people are good at understanding and caring about the thoughts and feelings of others. They pay attention to emotions and consider different views on the situation. Such an individual might be skilled at mediating conflicts by understanding each party’s point of view, or be adept at providing emotional support during difficult times.”
You and Me
I personally find the timing of this study apropos.
Today our world faces challenges that one nation or even one region, can no longer solve. The polycrisis we face requires global cooperation. Yet our world, sometimes even our own neighborhood, is incredibly divided. People show little trust in leaders – be that business or political leaders. It’s a “me vs. you” or an “us vs. them” world.
Yet, interestingly, all of us - regardless of our heritage, the size of our bank account, our skin color or job title - believe that the same characteristics - thoughtful reasoning, social understanding, and emotional awareness - are found in those whom are wise.
Maybe we can start by living out these characteristics of wisdom in our own lives, encouraging those around us to do the same, and seeking out leaders who embody these characteristics.
A “you and me” kind of world versus a “you vs. me” kind of world.