While exploring a theme during an association committee meeting, a big concept sprang to the foreground: What is "professional wisdom" and how does one gain the same? The Webster's Third World International Dictionary helps launch an investigation. To summarize, as an adjective, "professional" involves an individual engaged in an occupation requiring a high level of training and proficiency. The role is characterized by technical and/or ethical standards, such that this individual demonstrates a fine artistry or workmanship based on education, (the application of) sound knowledge, conscientiousness and experience.
And while not axiomatic, "wisdom" seemingly emerges from a professional foundation or reaches some maturity through a "hard-earned," growing pains process or journey that enriches both the head and heart. Two definitions and a quote should suffice.
Wisdom is:
1) accumulated information or lore, or instinctive adaptation and
2) the intelligent application of learning, that is, the ability to discern inner qualities and essential relationships.
These definitions align with Roget's Thesaurus of Synonyms' conceptual take on wisdom as a blend of head and heart:
1. Mental Capacities -- command, grasp, sharpness, and shrewdness
2. Emotional/Psychological Capacities -- understanding, insight, judiciousness, discrimination, and prudence, foresight and farsightedness. Clearly, these terms go beyond the cognitive; they reflect both emotional intelligence and intuition.
Perhaps Benjamin Franklin said it best: "The mouth of a wise man is in his heart The Dualistic Nature of Wisdom Let's return to the second definition of wisdom and examine another dual aspect, in addition to head and heart. Two relevant dimensions of and processes shaping a wise personality and the discernment of "inner qualities" and "essential relationships" are "integrity" and "character." While not recalling the source, it has been posited that:
a) integrity -- reflects a strong inner compass, clear values, and an ethical system along with an integrated sense of self capable of being or standing alone; it is especially forged in solitude and
b) character -- is the expression of one's temperament and vitality, e.g., the degree of pessimism and optimism, helplessness or hopefulness, along with a capacity for authentic and empathic relating, etc; it is especially shaped through interaction with others.
While this distinction may be somewhat simplistic or too "all or none," still I will illustrate the impact of discerning qualities and our dualities -- head and heart, integrity and character -- on the ebb and flow progression along the path of wisdom. And notice my bias is that wisdom is a lifelong journey, certainly not a fixed destination or a personality quality revealed by a score or grade. (I'm sure someone has already tried to establish a WQ -- "Wisdom Quotient." I refuse to take such a test!) Of course, wisdom is often situation specific, that is, one may be a sage in methods of work and foolish in matters love.
Now that we have defined our terms, let's identify two wisdom-generating processes -- "mentoring" and "meandering" -- with special emphasis on the latter.
1. Mentoring. Most of us can think of a knowledgeable and understanding, more senior supervisor or colleague (or teacher, coach, therapist, etc.) who took us under his or her wing. This individual shared ideas and experience, helped us bathe wounds or got us back on our feet from daunting learning curve trials. He or she also provided practical shortcuts based on greater time on the battle lines. For many, this person becomes a role model significantly influencing both our professional substance and style, especially in those formative years. One caveat: totally embracing a mentor's way -- because one sees the mentor as God-like or because it's easier following a familiar or safe trail -- may hinder the development of one's own individuality and confidence to explore.
2. Meandering. In contrast to mentoring, one may evolve skills, experience and, ultimately, some wisdom, less by coaching and more by on the job training, especially when (mostly) flying solo. A meandering learning curve, not surprisingly, is often of longer duration, with unexpected detours and learning paths and has greater frequency of errors. Still there may be two distinctly positive outcomes:
a) the development of a more individual, fresh and authentic voice or uncommon modus operandi and
b) a greater willingness to take risks and a begrudging acceptance of the need for and, even, value of failing.
Solitary meandering may well help build that aforementioned "integrity Mentoring or Meandering: Case in Point: Here an example that highlights dangers and opportunities in mentoring and meandering. Within the first year of moving from New Orleans to Washington, DC, I started looking to hook up with more creative types. In "The Big Easy" just strolling down the street you'd find your artsy oddballs and outcasts. In DC I had to join an Artists Support Group. In the short run, the group encouraged (in their limited wisdom) my pioneering work in the field of psychologically humorous rap-music -- "Shrink Rap" ™ Productions. In the long run, the experience helped illuminate "Two Wisdom-Building Processes":
1. The Dark Side of Mentoring. A number of the support group artists had received MFA or BFA degrees. But, in their own words, most believed their work had more originality and personal meaning before being guided by an academic professor. The school stressed developing practical skills and earning a living. Going under the wing of an expert seemed to limit individual launching and exploring.
In contrast, trying to explore creative proclivities in a social work doctoral program (a notion definitely off the academic wall) contributed to my burning out and dropping out. The silver lining: no longer confined to academia, I pursued a psychotherapy practice and began offering workshops in my new field of expertise -- stress and burnout. And then, throwing caution to the wind, there were forays into radio and TV. While generating plenty of trials and even more errors (fortunately N'Awlins has a high tolerance for deviancy), I began evolving a new voice as a speaker and writer and a new role/persona -- multimedia psychohumorist ™. Decidedly non-academic, it was as if this voice -- a blend of the serious and humorous -- had been confined to some psychic closet and was finally coming out and starting to strut. By pursuing an idiosyncratic and fairly solitary path, the road less taken, "made all the difference." Now, being with these DC artists, I better appreciated my years sowing unconventional wisdom seeds.
2. The Value of Difference and Diversity. The other wisdom-generating insight and catalyst emerged from the art group's composition: an array of creative types, from singers and writers to traditional painters and emerging computer graphic artists. This variety of perspective and experience challenged me to grow in novel directions. For example, ten years ago, I was still a technophobe. As more of the traditional artists moved into computer graphics and brought in their work, I increasingly felt like a technological dinosaur. Shamed into giving up my computer virgin status, I finally let go of my codependent relationship with a fifteen year old -- my Smith Corona electric typewriter. (And now I give talks on, "From Technophobia to Cybermania.")
So, while lacking (maybe avoiding) a dominant mentor for helping develop and shape my own ways of head and heart, nonetheless, I allowed myself to be challenged and supported by this diverse collective. Both "integrity" and "character" flexed new muscles. This group experience enabled me to look back and better appreciate the progress made by steadfastly transforming academic lemon into multimedia lemonade. And the group also encouraged envisioning and pursuing new routes -- predictable and otherwise -- on the ever evolving and changing path of wisdom.
Evolution and "The Secret of Wisdom"
Whether through mentoring and/or meandering, evolution and wisdom are as natural together as a bagel and cream cheese. Two of my favorite complementary sayings come to mind. Jonas Salk, the great scientific pioneer observed: Evolution is about getting up one more time than we fall down, being courageous one more time than we are fearful...trusting one more time than being anxious. And along with a sense of persistence, everyday struggle and appreciation for even small triumphs is the need for serenity: "Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can...and the wisdom to know where to hide the bodies." No...Just kidding. ;-)
"And the wisdom to know the difference." And the older I get, the more profound "The Serenity Prayer" seems. Yet, a fundamental question remains: how the heck do you get the wisdom? Okay, folks. Here it is...The Secret of Wisdom.
Once there was a young woman who heard that an old wise woman had the secret of wisdom. The young woman was determined to track the old woman down. After traveling many months, the young woman found the old woman in a cave. She entered and addressed the old woman: "Old Wise Woman, I hear you have The Secret of Wisdom. Would you share it with me? The old woman looked at the youth and said, "Yes, you seem sincere.
The Secret of Wisdom is good judgment." "Good judgment, of course," said the youth, thanked her mentor, and started to leave. However, as she got to the entrance of the cave she paused, turned back and said, "Old Woman, I feel funny, but, if I may ask, how does one obtain good judgment?" "That's a good question," said the sage.
"One obtains good judgment through experience." "Experience, of course," said the young seeker, and proceeded to leave. But once again she stopped in her tracks, and humbly walked back to her mentor.
"Old Woman," said the young woman, "I feel foolish, but I have to ask: How does one obtain experience?" The old woman paused, nodded her head and then proceeded: "Now you have reached the right question. How does one obtain experience?. . .Through bad judgment!"
Errors of judgment rarely mean incompetence; they more likely reveal inexperience or immaturity, perhaps even boldness. Our so-called "failures" can be channeled as guiding streams (sometimes raging rivers) of opportunity and experience that ultimately enrich -- widen and deepen -- the risk-taking passage...If we can just immerse ourselves in the these unpredictably rejuvenating waters.
Words to help us all...Practice Safe Stress!
