Wisdom as embodied and embedded process by Sarah Smith MAPP Buckinghamshire New University
“When I open myself up to the vastness of my own ignorance, I can’t help but feel a sudden suffocating feeling” ( Resnick, 2019)
“There is no way to respond to the complexity around us without accessing our own complexity” (Nora Bateson, 2019)
Why wisdom? In 2018 UN Secretary General issued a ‘red alert’ highlighting: growing inequalities • deepening conflicts • rising nationalism and xenophobia • At the same time we are making remarkable progress: 5 sixths of the world’s surface is free of war • 83% of the worlds population are now literate • Extreme poverty has decreased to 10% • The world is becoming increasingly complex and we are challenged to respond. We face ill-defined problems requiring an ability embrace uncertainty, deeply engage in foresight, thinking both long-term and systemically towards a common good. “If there is anything the world needs, it is wisdom. Without it, I exaggerate not at all in saying that very soon, there may be no world.” (Sternberg, 2003, p18)
The study of wisdom • Historically explored through philosophical and theological traditions • An aspirational characteristic of human development, which only a few may ever attain (Birren & Svensson, 2005) • The scientific study of wisdom is relatively recent: • Over 24 definitions • Conflicting theories, models and approaches • Different domains • General wisdom – personal wisdom • Synthetic wisdom – analytical wisdom • Practical wisdom “phronesis” – transcendental wisdom “Sophia” • Multiple measures
Research objective and question To explore the construct of wisdom through a review of the psychological literature on wisdom to date. With a particular focus on: • Making my own sense of the literature • Identifying what factors may influence the development of, and access to wisdom in specific situations and across life stages
Approach Dialectical pluralism • A ‘metaparadigm’, the integration of multiple perspectives • About finding a workable ‘whole’ at the same time as thriving from differences and tensions (Johnson, 2017) An integrative literature review • “The integrative literature review is a form of research that reviews, critiques, and synthesizes representative literature on a topic in an integrated way such that new frameworks and perspectives on the topic are generated.” (Torraco, 2005) The Seven Step Model • Both methodology and method, qualitative analysis (Onwuegbuzie & Frels, 2016; Onwuegbuzie, Leech & Collins, 2017)) • Iterative and recursive process • From 281 initial papers to 136 broadly reviewed and a final selection of 22 of the most relevant specific theories, papers and studies.
Headline findings General agreement between researchers that wisdom is complex and multidimensional and that it involves the integration of multiple parts (Bangen, Meeks & Jeste, 2013) Emerging shift: new perspectives on wisdom from social psychology, narrative psychology, psychophysiology and neuroscience (amongst others!) What seems to be key: • embracing complexity, • recognising paradoxes/polarities and staying open to the inherent dialectical tension, • openness and intellectual humility, • taking multiple perspectives, • synthesis and integration, • and taking action towards a common good Recent research has suggested that wisdom may be more situationally influenced and more variable in its manifestation in people than we might think (Grossmann, 2017)
Embodied: individual traits and resources Reflects the within-person traits and capacities that facilitate the emergence of wisdom and that may sustain the development of wisdom over time. Some may arise as higher levels of wisdom are accessed, facilitating further wisdom development. • Reflectivity (foundational) • Openness to experience • Cognitive characteristics e.g. desire to learn Embodied: • Affective characteristics e.g. emotion regulation individual • Empathy and compassion traits and • Self-transcendence resources • Physiological coherence, greater heart rate variability (Ardelt, 2003; Le & Levenson, 2005; Gluck & Bluck, 2013; Grossmann, Sahdra & Ciarrochi, 2016)
Embedded: situational and social context Reflects the external conditions that may trigger or influence an individual to access or draw on embodied wisdom resources and supports a transition into wise reasoning / thinking. • Fundamental experiences • Culturally non-normative experiences • Positive, negative and emotionally complex events • Trivial events • Social transactions • Social context with friends, co-workers or family • Compassionate relationships Embedded: Embodied: • Intergenerational interactions Situational, individual • Empathic listening social and traits and cultural • Social roles or instruction-reduced egocentrism e.g. role resources context of teacher, float above the world, project into future etc. (Westrate, Ferrari, Fournier & McLean, 2018; Igarashi, Levenson & Aldwin, 2017; Grossmann, Gerlach & Denissen, 2016; Montgomery, Barber & McKee, 2002; Tabuchi & Miura, 2016; Huynh, Santos, Tse & Grossmann, 2017)
Wise thinking: balanced decision making Reflects the cognitive processing involved in wise reasoning, animated by dialectical tension, paradox and a search for synergy, balance or integration. Wise • Search for integration and the common good thinking: • Recognition of uncertainty and change Balanced • Intellectual humility decision • Accessing tacit and explicit knowledge making • Executive processing • Appreciation of broader perspectives and contexts • Balancing competing interests and needs Embodied: Embedded: individual Situational, (intra/inter/extra) traits and social and • Consideration of short, medium and long term cultural resources consequences context • Mediated by values • Emodiversity (Sternberg, 1990; Baltes & Staudinger, 1993; Grossmann, 2017; Grossmann, Oakes & Santos, 2018)
Wise acting: congruent action in context Reflects an adjustment or growth response which may manifest as an internal, external and/or an environmental change. Wise Wise thinking: acting: • Adjustment and growth in response to the congruent Balanced environment action in decision context • Adapting, shaping and creating environments making • Deep and meaningful connection with others • Sharing with others • Reflective practices Embodied: Embedded: individual Situational, • Considerate use of environmental resources traits and social and • Engagement with cultural creative product resources cultural context (Sternberg, 1998; Staudinger & Kunzmann, 2005; Krafcik, 2015; Naschenweng unpublished as cited in Westrate & Gluck, 2017)
Wise insight, personal wisdom: Individual meaning making Reflects intrapsychic meaning-making processes, such as narrative and reflection, as both a supportive and generative structure; facilitating wise insight and complex understanding, through increased coherence and differentiation. Wise Life reflection e.g. life planning, life • Wise acting: Wise thinking: insight, congruent management, life review Balanced action in decision making personal context Self-reflection • wisdom: Exploratory and redemptive processing • Individual Narrative simulation of hypothetical and • Embodied: Embedded: meaning individual traits Situational, and resources lived situations of others social and making cultural context (Staudinger, 2001; Westrate & Gluck, 2017; Ferrari, Westrate & Petro, 2013)
Collective, general wisdom: Shared meaning making Reflects socially constructed and transmitted meaning as both a supportive and generative structure; facilitating collective insight and general wisdom Collective, Wise Cultural and collective products • general insight, Religious and cultural texts • Wise thinking: Wise acting: wisdom: personal congruent action Balanced decision Proverbs, myths and fables • in context making Shared wisdom: Stories of exemplars • meaning Individual Cultural master narratives • making meaning Embodied: Embedded: Relatable first-person narratives • individual traits making Situational, social and resources and cultural context (Baltes & Staudinger, 2000; Ferrari, Westrate & Petro, 2013)
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