Teaching for wisdom in our school
Wise people look out not just for themselves, but for all toward whom they have any responsibility
Thus, wise people look out not just for themselves, but for all toward whom they have any responsibility
There are several reasons why schools should seriously consider including instruction in wisdom-related skills in the school curriculum
First, knowledge is insufficient for wisdom and certainly does not guarantee satisfaction, happiness, or behavior that looks beyond self intrest
Wisdom seems a better vehicle to the attainment of these goals
Second, wisdom provides a way to enter considered and deliberative values into important judgments
One cannot be wise and at the same time impulsive, mindless, or immoral in one’s judgments
Third, wisdom represents an avenue to creating a better, more harmonious world
Dictators such as Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin may have been knowledgeable
They may even have been good critical thinkers, at least with regard to the maintenance of their own power
They were not wise
Fourth and finally, students, who later will become parents and leaders, are always part of a greater community
Hence, they will benefit from learning to judge rightly, soundly, and justly on behalf of their community
It resides and has its origin in ourselves
For all these reasons, students need not only to recall facts and to think critically (and even creatively) about the content of the subjects they learn, but also to think wisely about it
Wisdom can be taught in the context of any subject matter
Students learn to think wisely, and especially to understand things from diverse points of view across time and space
؟What do we wish to maximize through our schooling
?Is it just knowledge
?Is it just intelligence
?Or is it also wisdom
If it is wisdom, then we need to put our students on a much different course
Robert J. Sternberg is the IBM professor of psychology and education at Yale University, the director of theYale Center for the Psychology of Abilities, Competencies, and Expertise (PACE Center), and the president-elect of the AmericanPsychological Association, the largest association of psychologists in the world.