Wisdom: Is this a hollow word? A meaningless concept? Or is wisdom a powerful force that is available to everyone who seeks it.

The voice of wisdom is always there, even when we can’t hear it. ~ www.jaywren.com

The Wisdom to See Through Bias

Wisdom is that quiet voice that makes us pause and question our thinking.  It is our inner voice.  Some people call it the instinct of our gut.

When bias is shouting in our ear, wisdom is calling to us to look beyond our feelings to find the truth.

Knowing when to beware of bias and when to embrace your inner voice is the direction to wisdom.

Case Study #1:  Company leaders love a group of products.  Bias leads them to believe that these products are critical to a company’s image.

However, this group of products is losing money.  Furthermore, these products distract from the great products that will create a successful company future.

In this case, wisdom can balance between the feelings for image and the logic of building a successful business.  The company leaders decide to sell these image products.

Case Study #2:  Proud Dad loves baseball.  He insists that his daughter play fast-pitch softball.  However, his daughter hates everything about fast-pitch softball.  The size of the ball, the fear of dangerous pitching and fielding fly balls, even wearing a glove and cleats, everything.

However, his daughter loves volleyball.  She even excels in volleyball.

Proud Dad has no interest in volleyball. The games bore him, in part because he has never been around the sport.  Volleyball is not a sport that triggers for his enthusiasm.

Fortunately, Proud Dad can listen to that quiet voice speaking under the noise of his own bias.  He sees that the sports his daughter chooses are about her interests and not his interests.

Proud Dad signs up his daughter for volleyball and comes to the games.  He develops a positive interest (a new bias) in his daughter’s volleyball.

The Powerful Freedom of Wisdom

Wisdom frees us from the anger and resentments we have for people who are different from us.  It enables us to recognize the truth in what other people say, even when they say things we don’t like.  In this sense, it lifts us above our emotions to see the truth.

In conclusion, wisdom frees us to see the faults in our thinking.