Wisdom and patience – are they synonymous? Is there a connection?
Rob, my husband, writes weekly about values in business and leadership. The sentences below concluded his post last week.
Have you ever noticed that when you sit with a wise person, they also seem to possess an immense amount of patience? They rarely seem to be in a hurry.
This is not because they no longer have any problems. Quite the contrary.
Their patience comes with the wisdom to know when they should wait and when they should act. Wise people also never forget the power of prayer.
“Patience is the companion of wisdom.”
Bonus: a great way to develop patience is to seek wisdom.
A few ideas on how to grow wisdom and patience:
The wisdom of Proverbs over time: For a few years, while we were traveling full time, Rob read and re-read and read over and over again (more than 9 times) the book of Proverbs in the Bible. Most mornings we’d chat about his insights. He recommends the pondering of Proverbs as a way to grow in wisdom… and pondering is an exercise in patience, as much as Proverbs is a gathering of wisdom.
Using opposing perspectives: Roger L. Martin, author of “The Opposable Mind: How Successful Leaders Win Through Integrative Thinking”, suggests that wise leaders can look at two opposing ideas and come up with their own solution through integrative thinking. Understanding and using two (or more) opposing views involves patience.
Reflective Thought: Wisdom isn’t about age or experiences. Simply living a long time, or having many experiences won’t necessarily equal wisdom. It’s the patient thought and reflection that may begin the process toward wisdom.
Reflective thinking turns experience into insight.
– John Maxwell
Read this post if you’re needing patience in a relationship. And this post if you’re needing more ways to gather wisdom to get stuff right.
How are you growing in wisdom and patience?
Great tips. Thanks!