Wisdom Beyond Years

Several times this last month or two I've been told I'm "wise beyond my years."

I appreciate the compliment very much. I don't have an easy time relating to people my age because my beliefs and interests put me in a different category--and I already know I'm the weird one. So, it's reassuring when other people agree I don't fit in.

But, as a result of the comments lately, I've given a lot of thought to the idea of wisdom. And it makes me wonder why wisdom usually comes with old age--and not often before. Why are "wise" young adults the exception? And how can we stop that trend?
Then, lo and behold, the devotional I subscribe to via email spoke on the subject just today... The title was "A Word to the Wise," and I've copied the first part of it here:

Once there was a young man who, at the age of thirty-two, was appointed President of the bank. He had never dreamed that he would become president at all - much less at such a young age. So he approached the Chairman of the Board, a man known for his wisdom, and asked, "You know, I've just been appointed President and was wondering if you could give me some advice." The old man came back with just two words, "Right decisions!" The young man had hoped for a bit more than this. "That's really helpful and I appreciate it," he said, "but can you be more specific? For example, how do I make right decisions?" The wise old man pondered the question for a moment then simply responded, "Experience." Growing impatient, the young man said, "Well, that's why I am here. I don't have the kind of experience I need. How do I get it?" The terse reply quickly came, "Wrong decisions!"

It's kind of a cute story. Everybody loves grumpy old man quotes. I guess. But the tale plainly teaches that people need to make mistakes before they learn anything, and I plainly disagree.

The author of the devotional also gave an example of her 3-year-old daughter repeatedly attempting to stick her fingers in light sockets--despite being told "no" and that it would hurt her. She didn't learn her lesson until she finally got a shock, and it strongly reminds me of my brother, Tim. Mom always described him as a "kid who had to learn things the hard way," and he was. We can describe lots of people this way, actually.

But if there are people who have to "learn things the hard way," there must be people who do things the "easy way," too. And I believe that's where wisdom is found. "Easy way" people observe what happens to those sticking their fingers in light sockets, and they don't feel the need to do the same. I used to make Tim test the ramps we built in the street or the concoction of ingredients we mixed together from the fridge, before I decided whether to try it myself. I figured, whatever didn't kill him (or did, I suppose) would make ME stronger.

So, I agree that experience makes for wisdom. But we can't experience everything in life personally. Instead we need to interact with the people who have tried things (especially those who failed), and treat them as test subjects. We can read books and newspaper articles about hobbies, techniques for living, and even entire lifestyles we'd never have the opportunity to try for ourselves. This way, we don't have to be 50 or 60 to accumulate the lessons of a 50-or-60-year-old.

But the most important part is making the choice to learn something from the experiences of others, instead of insisting on learning the hard way. I really think that's the beautiful simplicity of wisdom. Listen, learn, apply. It really doesn't have to take years.

“A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:” (Proverbs 1:5)