A Process View of Wisdom

The present study proposes to define wisdom as a real-life process which consists of three core components—integration, embodiment, and positive effects. Two studies were conducted to test whether those three components play an essential role in wisdom as it emerges in real-life contexts. In Study 1, an open-ended questionnaire asking Taiwanese Chinese to nominate wise individuals was given to more than 80 participants of a diverse range of occupations and age groups who resided in different parts of Taiwan. After analyzing and rating participants' reasons for their nominations, the results show that wisdom is perceived to include those three core components. In Study 2, semi-structured interviews were conducted on 66 wisdom nominees who agreed to participate. Analysis of these interview transcripts yielded 220 wisdom incidents. It was found that wisdom incidents with core components made explicit received higher wisdom ratings than the same incidents without making the three core components explicit. The present findings suggest that wisdom could be defined more broadly, as a special kind of real-life process that is accomplished after a person cognitively makes an unusual integration, embodies his or her ideas through action, and hence brings forth positive effects to both self and others.