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Wisdom

Encyclopedia of Geropsychology

Synonyms

Life experience; Prudence; Sagacity

Definitions of Wisdom

As the number of wisdom researchers grows, so does the number of definitions and operationalizations of wisdom. While some issues are still under debate, researchers agree on the following aspects concerning the definition of wisdom (cf. Jeste et al. 2010): Wisdom is a highly desirable but rare quality; it is unlikely that an “ideally wise” person exists at all. Wisdom concerns the existential issues of human life – such as our awareness of our own mortality, fundamental ethical questions, or the balance of autonomy versus intimacy in relationships. Wisdom is a complex construct that combines cognitive components, such as broad and deep knowledge, and noncognitive components such as emotion regulation competencies and openness to new ideas and experiences. Wisdom involves critical self-reflection and awareness of the inherent uncertainty and unpredictability of the human existence – wise people are aware of how much...

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Correspondence to Judith Glück .

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Glück, J. (2016). Wisdom. In: Pachana, N. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geropsychology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-080-3_155-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-080-3_155-1

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Psychology of Wisdom
    Published:
    28 October 2016

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-080-3_155-2

  2. Original

    Wisdom
    Published:
    16 February 2016

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-080-3_155-1