by Charles Barnard
“To know thyself is the beginning of wisdom.” I have seen this quote attributed to both Socrates and Aristotle, but it doesn’t really matter which of those great thinkers said it, the statement bears analyzing. Wisdom is certainly something we should all consider acquiring in abundance. To be considered wise is unquestionably an attribute worthy of attaining.
Seeking wisdom is an important way to strengthen your mindset. In an article publish online at Psychology Today, wisdom was described as the ability to take your knowledge and your understandings of situations from experience and apply them skillfully in your decision making. In the article, developmental psychologist Paul Baltes is referenced as conceiving wisdom as expertise derived from five key components, which are having a rich procedural knowledge, rich factual knowledge, an understanding of different life contexts, an awareness of the relativism of values and priorities, and the ability to recognize and manage uncertainty. Let’s look at each of those briefly.
Rich procedural knowledge in context of knowing thyself is understanding how you do things. In the language of educational psychology it is having metacognition. Knowing the strategies you use to accomplish outcomes or perform specific behaviors is extremely valuable. By knowing those strategies you can interrupt inefficient or problematic ones and create better ones.
Having rich factual knowledge in context of knowing thyself would indicate a need to remember. If we remember our successes and our mistakes we can better analyze our strengths and weaknesses. We grow and improve by knowing what we have done well and what we have not done so well. In this component, it is the facts of the situation we want to hone in on not the emotions. For this reason alone, journaling daily is one of those powerful components of an effective evening ritual.
The next of the vital components is understanding different life contexts. Again, in context of knowing thyself life contexts would refer to knowing your roles and responsibilities in each area of your life. The four areas of your life that would require this understanding are your personal life, which would include your family and personal relationships as well as your personal goals and ambitions. Your educational or professional life would refer to those relationships and goals and ambitions associated with your career or education. Your civic awareness is important because we are citizens and have responsibilities associated with that role. Understanding just what those are and how they influence your life or should influence your life is crucial in attaining balance.
Next on the list is understanding the relativism of values and priorities. Many people think they know what they value, but in general could name only a handful of those values. Few people understand their values hierarchy or have even done one. Without knowing how your unconscious mind ranks and orders what you value you cannot effectively prioritize your time. The feeling of self-sabotage or getting stuck or feeling internal conflict is often a result of not being aware of nor understanding the relativism of your values and priorities.
The final component of wisdom is the ability to recognize and manage uncertainty. Uncertainty plays havoc with our emotions. Wisdom then would not only require understanding the situations that arise and their impact on your emotions, but it would require the knowledge of how emotions operate within you and techniques on managing your emotions. It is a trainable skill.
Acquiring wisdom is a lifelong process. Developing the mindset of a champion is a lifelong process. Acquiring wisdom is just one component of the mindset of a champion arch we refer to. The process of building that arch begins with the “excavation” work and the personal breakthrough session. It is the process identifying that procedural knowledge and even the factual knowledge. During this process of our training curriculum we also do what we can to provide the structure and at least some of the motivation necessary to build two powerful and crucial habits – the morning and evening ritual. During that training, techniques are also taught that should become part of those rituals that will help with the other wisdom components.
With everything ready for the building of the mindset, the foundation of that mindset of a champion arch is the foundation of love. During this training, we introduce thirteen key characteristics of a loving mindset. Each lesson is filled with some knowledge, examples, focused thinking, and activity to get you becoming more aware of these characteristics and to engrain them even more into your core being. This process continues with each of the other components of that arch – faith, faithfulness, family, friendships, mind, body, and spirit. The bonus training is all about the financial mindset and strategies necessary to accumulate wealth and find fulfillment in the process.
The process of doing this really should begin as early as seventh grade but more likely freshman year in high school. It is incredibly valuable to do as a family. It really should be done at home. All of you reading this undoubtedly can see the value, but you also can imagine the commitment. Is it worth it? You tell me, is it worth carving out 45 – 50 minutes a day to a morning and evening ritual that will guide you in acquiring the mindset that will allow you to become a champion of life and to champion the joys of living? If you aren’t already living a joyful, fulfilled life, and have provided that skill set for your children why wouldn’t it be worth it? Only you can answer that.
“Wisdom.” Psychology Today, http://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/wisdom. Accessed
31 Oct. 2021.
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Training Mindsets, Training Champions