On Friends and Wisdom in the Workplace - Part 2
Last time we learned a thing or two about real friendship from Eccliasticus, chapter 6. Today we'll consider what this chapter has to say about "wisdom" and see how it might apply to our work.
Wisdom
First, let's recall this helpful sequence which I first learned in How to Read a Book by Mortimer Adler: Information, Knowledge, Understanding, Wisdom. He distinguishes among these and places them in this order to emphasize that, when reading any book, we value most any wisdom we might gain. I think we can apply this lesson to our work as well. First, let's consider what Eccliasticus 6 teaches us about wisdom:
My son, from thy youth up receive instruction, and even to thy grey hairs thou shalt find wisdom. Come to her as one that plougheth, and soweth, and wait for her good fruits.
To better understand the role wisdom can play at work, let's begin by considering the lifelong learning that many, if not most, jobs require. Even the simple hot dog stand incorporates newer technology as time passes. When I was a kid, we had an old Greek guy selling hot dogs in the neighborhood. He had a wooden cart. His son took over with a cart made of stainless steel. After some decades, his son took over the family business with a food truck.
But does our continual learning always add to our store of wisdom? It can. For example, in my profession, I'm required to garner "continuing education" credits. Some of that provides useful, even necessary, information that bolsters my knowledge of laws, rules and regulations, all important to my practice. For example, if I'm giving advice regarding taxes, I need to be aware of the current tax brackets and various rules. My reading and study starts with information intended to provide me with useful knowledge. Over time, that knowledge forms a base of understanding. I not only know the current tax brackets and rules, but I understand the thinking behind them. With that understanding, I could more effectively communicate the impact of the recent tax law changes on specific client situations.
In our tax example we see the progression of information to knowledge to understanding. Now let's see how wisdom emerges from the knowledge and understanding we've already gained. Actually, "emerges" isn't really accurate. It takes effort. Over time, we made it our business to not only keep up with current laws, rules, and regulations. We studied the history of taxation, beginning with the U.S., eventually extending to other parts of the world. Doing so, we discerned how governments have imposed and utilized taxes. Our studies helped us see how the income tax evolved in the U.S. from a one page form that applied mostly to wealthy people to a complex collection of thousands of rules imposed on more and more of our American society. We saw how, once upon a time, most families did not pay income tax, allowing one wage earner to provide a decent level of material prosperity for an entire family, keeping the option open for a woman to remain home with young children. We then observed how that changed in the 1970s, morphing to the situation we face now. Depending on where you live, and how many children you have, many families can't - or can't imagine - how they can survive with only one parent working. There's much more to the story, but we don't have time to get into any more detail here. Suffice it say that the wisdom we gained from our extra effort enhances our ability to help more effectively face the challenges of our contemporary world.
So wisdom requires serious, sometimes extensive, effort. Eccliasticus teaches us that not everyone, however, is willing to put in that effort:
How very unpleasant is wisdom to the unlearned, and the unwise will not continue with her. She shall be to them as a mighty stone of trial, and they will cast her from them before too long...
Indeed, you have to be willing to place yourself at the beck and call of wisdom, essentially becoming wisdom's servant:
Put thy feet into her fetters, and thy neck into her chains: Bow down thy shoulder, and bear her, and e not grieved with her bands. Come to her with all thy mind, and keep her ways with all thy power. Search for her and she shall be made known to thee, and when thou hast gotten her, let her not go.
Pursuing wisdom in the workplace will likely add to what may already be the heavy burden of your toil. But do so, and great will be your reward:
For in the latter end thou shalt find rest in her, and she shall be turned to thy joy. Then shall her fetters be a strong defence for thee, and a firm foundation, and her chain a robe of glory.
For in her is the beauty of life and her bands are a healthful binding. Thou shalt put her on as a robe of glory, and thou shalt set her upon thee as a crown of joy.
Wisdom
First, let's recall this helpful sequence which I first learned in How to Read a Book by Mortimer Adler: Information, Knowledge, Understanding, Wisdom. He distinguishes among these and places them in this order to emphasize that, when reading any book, we value most any wisdom we might gain. I think we can apply this lesson to our work as well. First, let's consider what Eccliasticus 6 teaches us about wisdom:
My son, from thy youth up receive instruction, and even to thy grey hairs thou shalt find wisdom. Come to her as one that plougheth, and soweth, and wait for her good fruits.
To better understand the role wisdom can play at work, let's begin by considering the lifelong learning that many, if not most, jobs require. Even the simple hot dog stand incorporates newer technology as time passes. When I was a kid, we had an old Greek guy selling hot dogs in the neighborhood. He had a wooden cart. His son took over with a cart made of stainless steel. After some decades, his son took over the family business with a food truck.
But does our continual learning always add to our store of wisdom? It can. For example, in my profession, I'm required to garner "continuing education" credits. Some of that provides useful, even necessary, information that bolsters my knowledge of laws, rules and regulations, all important to my practice. For example, if I'm giving advice regarding taxes, I need to be aware of the current tax brackets and various rules. My reading and study starts with information intended to provide me with useful knowledge. Over time, that knowledge forms a base of understanding. I not only know the current tax brackets and rules, but I understand the thinking behind them. With that understanding, I could more effectively communicate the impact of the recent tax law changes on specific client situations.
In our tax example we see the progression of information to knowledge to understanding. Now let's see how wisdom emerges from the knowledge and understanding we've already gained. Actually, "emerges" isn't really accurate. It takes effort. Over time, we made it our business to not only keep up with current laws, rules, and regulations. We studied the history of taxation, beginning with the U.S., eventually extending to other parts of the world. Doing so, we discerned how governments have imposed and utilized taxes. Our studies helped us see how the income tax evolved in the U.S. from a one page form that applied mostly to wealthy people to a complex collection of thousands of rules imposed on more and more of our American society. We saw how, once upon a time, most families did not pay income tax, allowing one wage earner to provide a decent level of material prosperity for an entire family, keeping the option open for a woman to remain home with young children. We then observed how that changed in the 1970s, morphing to the situation we face now. Depending on where you live, and how many children you have, many families can't - or can't imagine - how they can survive with only one parent working. There's much more to the story, but we don't have time to get into any more detail here. Suffice it say that the wisdom we gained from our extra effort enhances our ability to help more effectively face the challenges of our contemporary world.
So wisdom requires serious, sometimes extensive, effort. Eccliasticus teaches us that not everyone, however, is willing to put in that effort:
How very unpleasant is wisdom to the unlearned, and the unwise will not continue with her. She shall be to them as a mighty stone of trial, and they will cast her from them before too long...
Indeed, you have to be willing to place yourself at the beck and call of wisdom, essentially becoming wisdom's servant:
Put thy feet into her fetters, and thy neck into her chains: Bow down thy shoulder, and bear her, and e not grieved with her bands. Come to her with all thy mind, and keep her ways with all thy power. Search for her and she shall be made known to thee, and when thou hast gotten her, let her not go.
Pursuing wisdom in the workplace will likely add to what may already be the heavy burden of your toil. But do so, and great will be your reward:
For in the latter end thou shalt find rest in her, and she shall be turned to thy joy. Then shall her fetters be a strong defence for thee, and a firm foundation, and her chain a robe of glory.
For in her is the beauty of life and her bands are a healthful binding. Thou shalt put her on as a robe of glory, and thou shalt set her upon thee as a crown of joy.
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