As I get older, my parents get smarter

The title of this post touches on the difference between knowledge and wisdom.

Anyone can gain knowledge. There are colleges to attend, universities to get advanced degrees from, and more books, videos, and internet sites about everything you wanted to know about than you could ever review.

Ahh but wisdom is a little trickier. Wisdom tells you how to apply the knowledge that you have.

Wisdom comes from two places: your own experience, and the experience of those around you. How easy it is to dismiss those with experience when you are young, and overflowing with the latest knowledge. How easy it is to ignore those who have been there before you, especially in technology where "everyone knows" the latest knowledge is the best.

If only it was that simple. Read a book: be an expert. Unfortunately, the knowledge you can gain from reading a case study, or someone's opinion/system (even mine!) may not totally apply (or apply at all) in your particular management situation. This is where wisdom- the power of experience - comes into play; wisdom allows you to judge how much of your knowledge is applicable, and how to apply it.

But what about new knowledge? New techniques, new data? This is where the truly wise shine! Those who are truly wise do not rely just on their experience, but act like sponges when it comes to new knowledge, and adapt their thinking based on their experience and the new knowledge (including the experience of others).

So can only the old and experienced be wise? Of course not! The key for those who are younger and less experienced is to listen to the more experienced, and include that combination of knowledge and experience in their own thought processes.

You would be surprised how smart your parents really were!