FPQ # 2 – Thoughts from a Wisea**

Here we go with round two of Fandango’s Provocative Questions. These are kind of fun, make me think. Oh wait did I just use “fun” and “think” in the same sentence? lol

“What do you think is more useful: intelligence or wisdom, and why do you feel that way?”

Oooooh, this is a good one. An issue of which I have deep personal knowledge. For you see, grasshopper, I am both intelligent and wise and IMHO, wisdom trumps intelligence every time.  

Wow, that sounded a wee bit arrogant even to me. Let me explain.

I am smart, some call me “scary smart” my father called me an “intellectual sponge” meaning that I soak up knowledge by osmosis. I admit to having read the entire 32 volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica by the time I was 12. I spent most of my primary school years in classes for “gifted children” and “exceptional students.” I completed 2 years of college work by the time I was 17. Yeah, I’m smart. I am also dumb as a box of rocks.

I believe that intelligence is a gift. It’s something some of us are born with, other less so. But, unless you have the wisdom and good judgment to properly apply it, it is absolutely useless. Trust me on this, I know people with IQ’s over 200 who can barely tie their shoes. I also know people with moderate intelligence who are very successful.

Sometimes raw intellect is a gift, other times it’s a curse. In the 60’s and 70’s girls were not supposed to be smart. So I hid it. I turned down a full scholarship, got married at 17 and divorced at 18. Told ya, dumb as a box of rocks.

As for wisdom, yep I’m wise. You don’t live to be as old as I am, and live through as much sh** as I have without getting to be at least a little bit wise. My granddaughter once asked me “how’d you get to be so wise?”

I told her “I lived.”

“Yeah, I get that,” she rolled her eyes.

“No baby girl, I LIVED.”

What do you get when you don’t get what you want? Experience. Pile experience upon experience upon experience and what do you get? Yep, wisdom. I’m wise (well, my DGD thinks I am) because I failed, I screwed up, I didn’t get what I wanted A. LOT.

So for what it’s worth, wisdom gets my vote. I’d rather be both, but if I had to choose, I’ll take wise over smart any time.  But then,  I’d rather be happy than right.

Till next time ~Peace  ~JPP