wisdom
Wisdom is the quality or state of being wise or having sagacity, discernment, or insight. Being wise is having the power of discerning and judging properly as to what is true or right or possessing discernment, judgment, or discretion. Basically, wisdom is to know what to say after you have asked your wife what is wrong and she answers “nothing”.
Sagacity is the quality of being sagacious. Sagacious means having or showing acute mental discernment and keen practical sense. An example of sagacity is to know to not give a two-year-old a red Popsicle when they are dressed in their white Sunday best and on the way to church.
Discernment is the faculty of discerning and/or discrimination and/or acuteness of judgment and understanding. To discern is to perceive by the sight or other sense or by the intellect. Discernment is to know not to allow a 4-yr-old access to scissors, (accidentally, of course) after stating that this young one really needed a haircut.
Insight is an instance of apprehending the true nature of a thing, especially through intuitive understanding. An example of insight is to know that you should divide the candy bar yourself rather than trusting the older sibling to equally divide it with his younger brother.
Just this week, on two days in a row, I seem to have used wisdom or a related word definition. The problem is that common sense carries a similar definition – i.e. – sound practical judgment that is independent of specialized knowledge or training, so I’m not sure to which of the definitions I actually clung. Clung would be correct here since it was done in the past.
This is not to imply that I constantly do actions that are wise or have the nature of common sense. But I know that I do actions that make sense on occasion. Sometimes these proper actions are only revealed much later and at least some of them smack of having been done by accident.
All that to say this – I actually waited until almost sundown to mow a section of my lawn because of the heat and then finished the rest of this job action early the next morning. Exactly how early will not be discussed, but I do know that it was not as early as it should have been. We were having guests for supper (evening meal) and evidently this mowing was done to impress my guests since my neighbors all know that I prefer a jungle.
Parts of the garden are still alive and well in spite of the heat wave in which we are in the midst. Amazement is almost a constant dwelling place for me and that at the wonders of God’s creation in the form of plants and trees here on Blueberry Hill. ec
Sagacity is the quality of being sagacious. Sagacious means having or showing acute mental discernment and keen practical sense. An example of sagacity is to know to not give a two-year-old a red Popsicle when they are dressed in their white Sunday best and on the way to church.
Discernment is the faculty of discerning and/or discrimination and/or acuteness of judgment and understanding. To discern is to perceive by the sight or other sense or by the intellect. Discernment is to know not to allow a 4-yr-old access to scissors, (accidentally, of course) after stating that this young one really needed a haircut.
Insight is an instance of apprehending the true nature of a thing, especially through intuitive understanding. An example of insight is to know that you should divide the candy bar yourself rather than trusting the older sibling to equally divide it with his younger brother.
Just this week, on two days in a row, I seem to have used wisdom or a related word definition. The problem is that common sense carries a similar definition – i.e. – sound practical judgment that is independent of specialized knowledge or training, so I’m not sure to which of the definitions I actually clung. Clung would be correct here since it was done in the past.
This is not to imply that I constantly do actions that are wise or have the nature of common sense. But I know that I do actions that make sense on occasion. Sometimes these proper actions are only revealed much later and at least some of them smack of having been done by accident.
All that to say this – I actually waited until almost sundown to mow a section of my lawn because of the heat and then finished the rest of this job action early the next morning. Exactly how early will not be discussed, but I do know that it was not as early as it should have been. We were having guests for supper (evening meal) and evidently this mowing was done to impress my guests since my neighbors all know that I prefer a jungle.
Parts of the garden are still alive and well in spite of the heat wave in which we are in the midst. Amazement is almost a constant dwelling place for me and that at the wonders of God’s creation in the form of plants and trees here on Blueberry Hill. ec
posted by mreddie | 4:09 PM
10 Comments:
I cling, clanged and have clung to words like perspicacity and perspecuity. Danggit -- I'd better go and look them upo again.
Sagacity is a word I rarely have heard, and never used. But, I'm glad you've used it here - refreshing.
This afternoon I read an article in the latest issue of Parabola discussing “wisdom” in relation to logos and mythos. Without going into it all, it seems—and I agree—we need to utilize both sides of our brains if we are to be discriminatingly wise.
AC - That is the only way I can write some of them - to look them up. I have clung to my dictionary many times. :)
bonita - I delight in finding seldom used words and dragging them into usage - kicking and screaming, or so it would seem.
SSN - "Wisdom is justified of her children" and I'm not sure I am in that family - at least on a given day. :) ec
Good post Mr Eddie ~~ I think in the first paragraph about wisdom -- what
to say to the wife whe she says Nothing's wrong. I think wisdom would
say NOTHING and remove oneself.
I have never thought about clung before but you are right. What about hang (as in execute) - is it hanged or hung ?. Take care, Merle.
Being the oldest of 8, and the mother of 3, I was granted wisdom,
sagacity, discernment, and a bushel of insight at a very early age. :-)
merle - Right, sometimes anything said will be unwise. Hung or hanged can be used in different circumstances - both would be very uncomfortable, but not for long. It was a very common thing to hang horse thieves in the old west - to them 'no noose would be good noose'. ec
brenda - Most things considered wise or even common sense seems to come more readily to those who struggle through hardships. ec
I have always prayed to be a wise person, discerning and sagacious included. I don't often succeed, but let's say that today I am farther along than a year ago! Unfortunately, somethings are learned "the hard way" or as we say here in Finland, "through the heel." Painful, but effective.
yours truly - My wisdom, such as it is, seems to be spotty at best but has come the 'hard way' as well. ec
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