The Virtue of Wisdom II
‘Wisdom describes strengths that help you gather and use knowledge’.
VIA Institute on Character
The last two strengths grouped under the virtue of wisdom are judgment and perspective.
4. Judgment: “is critical thinking, weighing evidence fairly, thinking things through, and examining the evidence from all sides rather than jumping to conclusions.” This is the ability to take a 360° view of a situation to scan for details and finer nuances that leads to sound decision making. It is about engaging in out of the box thinking and looking for alternatives before arriving at a solution. It is about unbiased approaches that allow for previously untapped resources to surface, instead of staying stuck in habitual patterns. It is about being flexible to hearing others’ viewpoints to shift out of one’s narrow myopic vision. Good judgment is about remaining non-judgmental! Staying open to both old and new information is the hallmark feature of this strength.
A friend diagnosed with a high grade cancer had to first process the flood of emotions that surged uncontrollably. Then, she sat back and took a good, hard look at the implications of the proposed line of treatment. She started talking to family, friends, colleagues, other clinicians, scouring the internet, calling related facilities to collect as much information as she could. She then waded through the mountain of facts and figures. She finally distilled all this to what was most applicable to her, before making her decisions on the treatment of choice. She felt reassured she had engaged her strength of critical thinking.
People who exhibit good judgment make decisions based on all the information they have gathered, without limiting themselves to what they already know. They are able to sift through and separate the grain from the chaff. They heed emotions and act on rational thought. Hence they are trusted by others both personally and professionally. Due to the keen focus on exact particulars it is considered a micro-strength. Due to the impartial lens and objective analysis based on evidence it is also considered a corrective strength.
5. Perspective: “is the ability to see the bigger picture in life”. Of late I have been hearing many of my coaching clients say “I am in the weeds too much” referring to the fact that they are entangled in tactical details rendering them unable to focus on the larger strategy for the organization. They are unable to see the forest for the trees. Perspective gives you that Meta View to see the forest and the trees.
“This ability to look at systems as a whole, or to think in big terms, helps you to offer good advice.” As founder of a non-profit organization I spent hours working with board members unravel intricacies of challenges that faced them in daily operations. Time and time again, it was about asking the right questions, applying the pause principle (admittedly much to their frustration), or stepping back from the situation to revisit the mission statement that would help clear the lens they were looking through and prioritize where their energy needed to go. The smaller irritants and road blocks were either dropped or removed as inconsequential. Goals were realigned. They gained clarity.
When mired in minutiae, stepping off the field to stand on the sidelines, or climbing on to a higher platform to get an aerial view makes all the difference. Your field of vision widens. Short and long term consequences are considered and wisdom harnessed both from others as well as from life experiences is brought to play. Anyone with a healthy perspective is often sought by others for advice. It is considered a macro-strength.
So step back, see the vast array of possibilities in front of you: life is full of promise!