It's not been one experience, but a series of small events over a lifetime, often insignificant on their own, that have led me to realize that I need to look out for myself because nobody else will, to stop caring what others think about me because that's a dead end, to focus on helping others for my own mental health (besides being a good thing to do on its own), that doing what's right is hard but the only way I can live with myself, that life is too short to take it seriously, to take less stock of what people think about politics, religion, etc., because we're all wrong one way or another, to be kind to animals, children, and the mentally ill, because they're the most vulnerable, to stop judging others for how they live or what they value, and to never stop learning because a stagnant mind leads to a stagnant life. I'm sure there's more, but that's all I can think of now.

Living abroad. Perspective is everything.

Disability from invisible illness woke me up to how people are: 9/10 people would rather believe an imagined fiction than an uncomfortable truth--right under their noses, plain as day--that forces them to abandon their preconceptions.

Leaving home at 15... been taking care of myself an my family ever since.

still waiting.

my curiosity.

Surviving cancer. Woke me up in ways I could never expect.

When troubles come your way and break you. The more pain and suffering, the more knowledge comes from it. If you stop learning in life your probably six feet under. We adapt to change in various ways, I've learned more from loss. Turns your life upside down, you have to learn to cope. Also the people that are really there for you through it, those people will teach you alot about kindness and strength. The ones that teach you how to live again

My father sent me to boarding school for 5 years, unheard of for someone from my background, (so he could emotionally and physically abuse my sisters ). I learnt the difference between the have and have-nots.
Myself and friends (catholics) crossed the road to visit protestant friends. On our way back some older kids from our estate made us recite a certain prayer to prove we were catholic before we were allowed to go home ( as this point i should mention i am irish). I learnt how divisive religion can be.
At 11yrs i bought a second hand record, a collection of John Lennon songs. A song called 'Woman is the nigger of the World' blew my young mind, esp the line "we make her paint her face and dance". I learnt how cruel man can be.
I worshipped John Lennon, read everything about him, listened to everything he did, identified with him because my mother died when i was young too. I learnt he beat his woman. I learnt how imperfect we can be.
Is knowledge wisdom? Only if we know what to do with it. I have made many mistakes. ?

I hung around a pool hall when I was a kid.

I don't feel all that wise.

Fail often, fail quickly.

I got shot once, which kinda focused my mind on goals for a bit! Maybe I should see if I can get shot again, I've been a little unmotivated as of late. ??

Well I grew up overseas, spent 10 years in the military, about 7 years as a surveyor, married twice, divorced twice, cancer survivor, and having twins that are terminally ill. I think I gained my wisdom from all of the above.

Can't peg one, to me gaining wisdom is to learn from every experience.

Learning that I was a resource to be mined by my mom and a liability to my dad. It's had an enormous impact on me as I've examined what kind of dad & husband I want/need to be.

ED / trauma care .

The end of my marriage.

When I realized that praying was a waste of time.

Time

Don't know about wisdom, but moving out of the bogan (Australian white trash) town I grew up in to go to uni in Sydney certainly expanded my perspective. I found Geology fascinating, humbling and spiritual (for want of a better word), I joined a death metal band and screamed at happy punters for money, I discovered people who enjoyed rather than tolerated my company, become a dedicated pharmavore without completely trashing my life and I found that a small subset of ladies actually find scrawny hyperactive freaks sexually attractive.

Marriage, I never believed someone I trusted good turn out to be such a despicable human being that she would lie to her own children and steal from them. Well, actually that came to light after separation along with a lot of other things I'd been deceived about. I also learned that it's not that difficult to deceive oneself, and hatred is not the opposite of love; apathy is.

marriage... Never Fucking Ever Again!!!! But granted... back then the Navy paid me more money for being married.

It comes with taking many chances and not letting failures stop you.