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Which is more useful, intelligence or wisdom?

  • 29 votes
  • 55 votes
kensmile4u 8 May 11
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58 comments

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2

I would not like to take wisdom to the marketplace, such as school or work. I think it would be at odds with the general spirit prevailing. I'm not a believer anymore but I think the Christian idea of 'not throwing pearls before swine' captured a real dilemma for aspiring people in a dog-eat-world.

15

Intelligence is knowing Frankenstein wasn't the monster, Wisdom is knowing Frankenstein was the monster.

@Stacey48 thank ya dear.

@Heart_Truth 🙂

14

Intelligence allows a person to develop an atomic bomb but wisdom prevents them from using it.

11

Wisdom will prevent you from making the same stupid mistake again, whereas intelligence can cause you to think you can approach that problem from a different angle and not be sudject to the same consequences and still fail.

10

How would one gain wisdom without intelligence? Wisdom is the product of intelligence. I could say either and justify it so it becomes like asking what’s more important, your liver or your kidney?

Wisdom is more likely the product of experience than intelligence don't you think?

@HeathenFarmer I would not trust the wisdom of someone without intelligence, would you?

@ArdentAtheist Strange as it might seem, working with the mentally handicapped I have often encountered wisdom without intelligence.

In the average person, as you increase your intelligence your wisdom should accumulate also.
But if you look at historical examples, Nazi Germany had great amount of intelligence but not a lot of wisdom.
I would have to agree I wouldn't want to be lacking in either.

Kidney.

@StarvinMarvin good point.... Make the word kidneys plural please 🙂

@StarvinMarvin wouldn't that be a lack of wisdom to not be able to learn from the mistakes of your predecessors?

7

You mean being a smart-ass vs a wise-ass?

godef Level 7 May 11, 2018

lol

7

Each if these is useless without the other.

7

This is like asking whether arms or legs are more useful. It depends on the goal. If the goal is to walk, legs are more useful. If the goal is to conduct an orchestra, arms are more useful. But a well-balanced person would find both arms and legs to be useful.

Wisdom without intelligence is likely to be misapplied. Intelligence without wisdom is also likely to be misapplied. Both are necessary and useful in a well-balanced life.

6

Wisdom has more direct application. Intelligence is useful for acquiring Wisdom.

Why the comparison? Both are gifts from MN and they run parallel

@DUCHESSA These are important considerations whenever rolling up a new character.

@MattHardy I guess you didn't read me ok...WE ARE BORN WITH / WITHOUT THESE TWO.

@DUCHESSA So CHA is your dump stat then?

6

I think you need intelligence to find wisdom, and wisdom comes from a lack of intelligence at the moment.

6

While intelligence is valuable with out wisdom we would not know how to apply our intelligence.

6

Can't vote, as it needs a third option, such as, both are equally important, or intelligence without wisdom is useless.

6

Different concepts.

One useful in certain circumstances, the other useful in different circumstances - rarely do they both apply to the same issue.

So it's like asking "Which is more useful, a hammer or a paint brush?"

Sorta depends whether you're applying paint or knocking in a nail, doesn't it?

6

Neither ... Two different things completely and can't be compared ..

Are these not both functions of Intellect and/or cognition?

6

Can you have one without the other?

Yes, but then you fall into the realm of disconnection. See my reply to the question above...

5

Wisdom to me is intelligence pus the added factors of time and/or experience.

5

One follows the other. Intelligence allows a oerson to seek and expand knowledge and experiences. And keeps tgem alive long enough to process what they have learned to reach a level of wisdom in how to deal with life's issues.

5

I think wisdom is more important. I’ve made many more wisdom saves then intelligent saves. Plus, wisdom affects your perception, allowing you to better search for traps.

5

You need both in order to deal with all of the complexities in life

I disagree. Some really bad people have been highly intelligent.

5

Well Gomer Pyle was wise but had not intelligence to talk about.

5

My take:

You can be intelligent, and not wise.

I don't feel that you can be wise without being intelligent.

Don't confuser knowledgeable with intelligent. You can be intelligent, not have a lot of facts to work with and wise in the use of the facts you do have.

5

As wisdom grows through many levels of experience, it results in the expansion of consciousness. And through every level of expansion, we go deeper into ourselves where intelligence emerges into a more complex orientation, reflective of our "deeper nature." That's the moment of recognition or 'self-realization.' So, in essence, both intelligence and wisdom are intertwined with each other. Isolating one from the other creates a disconnect where intelligence then runs the risk of becoming 'cold' and wisdom loses its ability to feel its way into the space of the heart.

5

Don't really need either if you've got charisma

Depends a bit on the profession, but Charisma can be more than enough to get by or thrive on. For instance, anyone who's seen The Osbornes would have to admit that Ozzy is neither particularly intelligent nor wise, but you can't deny the dude can draw a crowd and has stage presence!

Edit: not to mention numerous very intelligent people who go through life struggling to make ends meet because they're seen as not very personable.

And how many people have a friend that's dumb as a box of hair, but you'd do anything for them because they're so friendly and likable?

4

They both are. Wisdom is collected intelligence over time.

Wisdom has nothing to do with time for all I know you could have just been stupid for a very long time

4

Intelligence short term, wisdom long term.

I agree that intelligence is key to accumulating wisdom but I think character is also an important part of wisdom.

How about:
Intelligence x character x time = wisdom

4

Common sense!

Yes!

.....and you definitely need that too! I know folks with PH.d's that if you didn't hold their hand while crossing the street, they'd get hit by a bus. 😉

@Suffolkian hahahaha!

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