Who among you sometimes feels hit by a tsunami of information? In the digital era, access to information is easier than ever. A few clicks are enough to gain knowledge on almost any topic. Among it there is important, valuable information, but also information that is made up or taken out of context in a way that suggests false over-interpretations. In the past, people who had a great deal of knowledge about one or several subjects and could use it to solve a problem were considered wise. Not so long ago, a person’s place in intelligence-test rankings was also seen as a predictor of success. To this day, memes circulate on the internet showing which of today’s celebrities has a higher IQ than, say, Einstein or Leonardo da Vinci. But so what?
There is a dangerous illusion which, for some, turns into a belief that having a large amount of information is the same as intelligence or wisdom. In reality, knowledge is not the same as understanding, and intelligence does not always mean wisdom.
As the year draws to a close, we invite you to a moment of reflection on what we should be looking for today: information, intelligence or wisdom.
Information and intelligence
Intelligence is the ability to solve problems, think logically and absorb knowledge quickly. It is not, however, a synonym for the amount of knowledge you have. A person may know many facts, but if they cannot apply them properly or understand their wider context, they cannot be considered truly intelligent.
Recently, an IT company we know hired a young man. He had impressive knowledge in a narrow area of a fast-developing technology. He could answer every question. This so impressed the CEO that he decided to hire him as a product manager (for a product he knew so much about, after all). Unfortunately, dazzled by his knowledge, the CEO didn’t ask other questions that would have let him check other competencies and the range of his intelligence (from logical-mathematical to social and emotional). Nor did he check how the young man makes decisions, or whether those decisions are “wise”. As you can guess, after a few months there was mutual disappointment. The CEO was disappointed because the young man couldn’t cope with his duties. The young man was disappointed because he was expected to do something other than what was tested at the start – the thing he was so proud of.
Modern tools such as search engines give us access to vast amounts of information. Yet merely having information doesn’t make us more intelligent. In fact, one could argue that an excess of information without the ability to process it critically can lead to confusion rather than wisdom. That is exactly what happened in the “mini workplace drama” described above.
Wisdom and knowledge
Wisdom is something much deeper than knowledge. It means the ability to make sensible decisions, understand complex issues and anticipate the consequences of actions on the basis of experience and reflection. Wisdom is the ability to look at the world from a perspective that takes into account both the intellectual and the emotional aspects of life. Unfortunately, the young man in our example strives only to acquire even more knowledge and is completely resistant to feedback about other aspects of his role.
A wise person may not have encyclopaedic knowledge on every subject, but they can assess a situation accurately and make the right decisions. In this context, we can say that wisdom requires not only intelligence but also experience, empathy and an understanding of human nature. Wisdom and intelligence don’t necessarily go hand in hand with knowledge. Unfortunately, many hiring managers confuse them quite effectively.
The trap of “apparent intelligence”
One of the most common mistakes is equating having information with intelligence. People who accumulate huge amounts of knowledge often wrongly believe they are more intelligent or wiser than others. This can be particularly noticeable in the age of social media, where it is easy to share information and show off one’s “knowledge”. The CEO of our example company fell into exactly this trap. He himself felt insecure about his knowledge in this area, and when he found someone juggling information clickbait-style, he was caught like a fly on flypaper.
Simply acquiring information doesn’t mean a person can understand its meaning or apply it in practice. Knowledge without reflection and critical thinking becomes mere dead weight rather than a tool for intellectual growth. It should also be added that proper critical thinking will not happen at all if a person cannot break away from their own limiting cognitive patterns – if they are not aware of them.
Reading this, you may say it’s a heavy topic for an article before the holidays – but isn’t the holiday season and the end of the year a symbolic moment when we reflect on our lives? Let’s sometimes ask ourselves whether chasing information, scrolling social media and immersing ourselves in news from home and abroad makes us happy and builds our wisdom in life.
