SPECTRUM OF WISDOM

research on wisdom is still relatively new, we will offer somewhat speculative solutions, aimed to serve as a potential inspiration for future evidence-based interventions. the younger generation help sustaining human life. Though there are many views on the nature of wisdom, one common thread in philosophy, folk beliefs, and scientific discourse suggests that central to wisdom are certain forms of reflection or “reasoning” that promote sound judgment about a challenging situation at hand. As reviewed by Oakes, (in press), lay people often view wisdom through the lens of knowledge and experience, along with reflective abilities (e.g., about the self or the world), and socio-emotional abilities (e.g., empathy, compassion). Particularly relevant are the re-emerging ideas about practical wisdom (“phronesis”) as discussed by Aristotle. The central piece of the Aristotelian concept of practical wisdom has concerned reasoning about concrete 3 features of a given situation, with action as an end-point. According to Aristotle, phronesis facilitates proper decisions (prohairesis), which embody most appropriate prescriptions for a given set of circumstances. As circumstances change in different situations, these prescriptions also vary with the features of the situation. For instance, using such characteristics as bravery to handle challenging situations is not about running gung-ho into every (metaphorical) battle, nor are they about constant bravery, but about showing bravery when the situation calls for it. Building on this idea, scholars have defined practical wisdom as the ability to discern how to act in a particular situation, with an aim to achieve a situation-appropriate balance between different moral virtues and personal preferences