Wisdom

My Mom and Dad were in town, and before heading out for a round of golf, my favorite thing to do with my father, the three of us were chatting. 

I was talking about giving advice to my college students. I shared that my students often want to ask about if something is "right or wrong." Which is, let's admit, a critically important question. However, I often reframe those sorts of questions, shifting to talk about wisdom. Let's ask if something is wise or foolish. 

That led Dad to ask: "What is wisdom? How do we define it?" To which Mom quickly quipped: "Wisdom is whatever keeps you out of trouble and helps others."

That is a great definition of wisdom!

I'm going to remember that and pass it on to my students. 

Wisdom is whatever keeps you out of trouble and helps others.