Knowledge and Wisdom: What's the Difference?
From the Helping Project Managers to Help Themselves Blog
by Lonnie Pacelli
I'm all about Building Thriving Leaders™
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I've done a lot of thinking about knowledge and wisdom. Many use the term interchangeably. Couldn't be further from the truth. Here are my 12 key differences. What do you think?
- Knowledge is knowing what to say, wisdom is knowing when to say it.
- Knowledge is what goes in, wisdom is what goes out.
- Knowledge is telling others what to do, wisdom is articulating why it needs to be done.
- Knowledge is solving problems for others, wisdom is helping others solve their problems.
- Knowledge is providing answers, wisdom is asking questions.
- Knowledge prioritizes being right, wisdom prioritizes relationships.
- Knowledge is meant to impress others, wisdom is meant to help others.
- Knowledge inundates others with data, wisdom helps others understand data.
- Knowledge is about researching others, wisdom is about personal experience.
- Knowledge is about doing things right, wisdom is about doing the right things.
- Knowledge is taking a position on an issue, wisdom is understanding the implications of the position.
- Knowledge is about words, wisdom is about words backed up by actions.
Posted on: October 23, 2023 12:34 PM |
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Luis Branco
CEO| Business Insight, Consultores de Gestão, Ldª
Carcavelos, Lisboa, Portugal
Dear Lonnie
Your question is very interesting
I distinguish 3 levels:
- Information
- Knowledge
- Wisdom
Information, nowadays, is accessible to everyone (just go to the internet and search). Example: Cooking recipe
Knowledge is the ability to use information to solve and/or apply it to concrete situations. Example: Following a cooking recipe when preparing a meal
Wisdom is the application of principles to knowledge. Example: cook with 3 Michelin stars
Jihad Hamdan
Projects manager| Arrand engineering consultants
Beirut , Haret Hrek, Jem, Palestine, State Of
Jenelle Oberholtzer
Functional Architect II| TalenTech Digital
Mechanicsburg, Pa, United States
I loved your contrast of the qualities which distinguish knowledge from wisdom! I believe wisdom is obtained through experience and involves the understanding of how to leverage the knowledge gleaned to optimize desired outcomes. I agree wisdom is not simply the application of the knowledge through action; it is the in depth understand which enables the wise individual to know how to manifest a vision into reality! Great read!
I resonate with your view and commend you on being able to articulate the differences very clearly. Can I add another thought; to use wisdom may require a certain level of emotional intelligence. Thank you!
Tiago Lourenco PMP® MSc
Project Manager & GDPR Expert | Creator of GDPR StepWise™| Founder - Structured PM Ltd
London, Eng, United Kingdom
In essence, what I took from this post is that, knowledge can be attained by anyone who opens a book or observes behaviours. On the other hand, wisdom is maturity, it’s taking your knowledge and adding your experiences, mistakes, memories, confidence, emotional intelligence and mixing it all up. This mixture will show wisdom, the kind of wisdom only someone who’s lived a life can recognise and administer.
Knowledge is what you know, like facts and skills. Wisdom is using that knowledge wisely to make good decisions and solve problems. Knowledge gives you the basics, while wisdom helps you understand things better and make smarter choices.
Knowledge help me observe at the world and take money
Great summary of complex concepts, thank you Lonnie.
Thank you , Knowledge is power ,
Reshma Rizvi
Scientific Project Manager| University Of Saskatchewn
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Wonderful differentiation--wisdom helps to use knowledge effectively and precisely, thank you, Lonnie!
The difference between knowledge and wisdom can be thought of in terms of **data** versus **insight**. Knowledge is like having the raw data, while wisdom is the ability to distill that data into insights and informed actions. Here's a concise comparison:
- **Knowledge** is the accumulation of facts and information. It's often theoretical or procedural, like knowing how to perform a task or understanding the principles behind a concept.
- **Wisdom**, however, is the application of knowledge in a judicious and practical way. It involves the ability to make sound judgments and decisions based on the knowledge one has.
In essence, knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad. Wisdom is the appropriate application of knowledge to achieve a positive outcome. It's about making the right choices based on understanding, experience, and insight.
Michael Browning
Director, Cybersecurity| Vanderbilt University
Nashville, United States
Great insight - thank you for sharing!
Very well written Lonnie.
Smit Shah
Project Manager| Navitas Lifesciences
Banglore, Karnataka, India
Nigel Tan
Project Manager & Lead Consultant| Malaysian SOCIAL Project
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Really enjoyed reading this! Thanks for posting!
This was a very interesting read thank you
LUCY KIMANI
Project/Program Manager - Infrastructure| Consultant
East London, Eastern Cape, South Africa
Thank you, very insightful & thought provoking. I would include discernment with wisdom
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