Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
Proverbs 3:13
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
Proverbs 4:7
How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!
Proverbs 16:16
Wisdom, according to Wikipedia, is defined as “the ability to think and act using knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense and insight.” According to the LDS Guide to the Scriptures, Wisdom is “the ability or gift from God to judge correctly.”
German psychologist Paul Baltes and his colleagues identified 8 traits of the wise personality:
1. Open to Experience
2. Growth Oriented
3. Creative
4. Progressive and Judicial Thinking
5. Psychologically Minded
6. Socially Competent
7. Emotionally Serene
8. Other-Centered
The wise person is motivated to experience life and learn from it. She can see beyond the limits of a given situation. She is progressive rather than conservative and thinks judicially (why/how) rather than judgmentally (right/wrong).
A wise person is interested in understanding others and has a cooperative interpersonal style. She is emotionally calm and interested in the well-being of others rather than seeking her own interests.
These are noble characteristics. This is the type of person we should strive to become. Certainly we should not cling to, justify, and take pride in our ignorance.
The pursuit of wisdom is what caused Abraham to seek the Priesthood of the fathers (Abraham 1:2-4). Wisdom was God’s great blessing to Solomon (1 Kings 4:29-34). And, lest we forget, a desire for wisdom is what sent Joseph Smith to the grove to pray (Joseph Smith-History 1:11-14).
We may, of course, choose to spend our time and energy in pursuit of power and material goods to support our vanity. Many people do. But if one truly wishes to be a “Saint,” one should be actively and consistently seeking after righteousness and wisdom.
Let him that is ignorant learn wisdom by humbling himself and calling upon the Lord his God, that his eyes may be opened that he may see, and his ears opened that he may hear;
Doctrine and Covenants 136:32
Sources: David Robson, “Why speaking to yourself in the third person makes you wiser,” Aeon, August 7, 2019.
Evidence-based Wisdom https://evidencebasedwisdom.com/