“Knowing that I may be wise in certain aspects of life and subject materials, but not all, is in itself a wise position,” said one man in response to the second question of my wisdom survey: Do you consider yourself to be wise? A majority of the 212 individuals age 36-55 also answered “Yes,” to this question.
Yes, I am Wise
While they were slightly less confident than the 18-35 year olds I surveyed earlier in declaring their wisdom (78% of Millennials answered yes to this question compared to 72% of Gen X), the reasons behind the answers of my 36-55 year old group came from a changed perspective about cultivating wisdom. The younger generation answered yes to the question of being wise because they were willing to learn from their life experiences; whereas, the Gen X respondents said it was because of what they had already learned from their life experiences. From this new vantage point they began offering different expectations about what wisdom needed to look like in their lives.
The majority of the “yes group” indicated that the development of personal wisdom is a process that involves self-awareness, the willingness to learn from your mistakes and always expand your viewpoint. For some, this entailed gaining knowledge and a variety of experiences. Others recognized a deepening of their spirituality and intuitive knowing as they aged. For all, their life was an unfolding story with new characters and challenges entering to guide them to a greater understanding of themselves. In other words, “wisdom is not a destination arrived at, but a journey that never ends.”
No, I am not Wise
As with my millennial respondents to this question, the answers expressed by the individuals who did not consider themselves to be wise (or maybe sometimes) held a great deal of self-awareness. For these individuals, their age prevented them from saying “Yes, I am wise” because they felt that more life experience was needed in order to gain wisdom. Many of them also shared that they didn’t have the right type of world experience, or they didn’t take the time necessary to reflect and synthesize their experiences into wisdom.
Personal characteristics were also attributed to preventing the development of wisdom, as expressed in these statements:
- I am too impatient, reactive, impulsive
- I am too easily influenced by others
- I cannot let go of petty annoyances
- I let negative thinking get the best of me
- I have made too many bad choices in my life
Others described themselves as smart, intellectual, passionate and driven instead of being wise.
It’s Important to Know What You don’t Know
Just like the Millennials who responded to my wisdom survey, it was important for the 36-55 year olds to share their opinions with humility and to acknowledge that wisdom is not a judgement you can make about yourself. In fact, less than 4% of Gen X respondents indicated that they were wise because someone else gave them this feedback. Yet their growing confidence seemed to be the result of shifting their perspective about mistakes made in life, while embracing new knowledge and learning to listen to their “inner knowing.”
To continue with this series revealing the responses of 36-55 year olds to a wisdom survey, click here and learn about the favorite sources of wisdom influencing Gen X.