Wise people: these are the 6 characteristics that define them

There are those who value knowledge so much that they set out to constantly challenge their ignorance.

The typical image that comes to mind when we think of a wise person is an older man, with a long beard, who spends the day philosophizing in the solitude of his study. Thus, the idea conveyed by this archetypal image is that the understanding of the reality that surrounds us always has to go hand in hand with very hard sacrifices that practically prevent us from enjoying life on any other plane than the intellectual one. But this is false, it does not fit reality.

In fact, to reach a high degree of knowledge it is not necessary to be of the third age, and especially it is not necessary to live in isolation or to be a man. In everyday life, wise people have all kinds of appearances.What they do have in common are psychological traits and life habits. Below we will see what are those characteristics of their own that serve to recognize them.

Characteristics and habits of wise people

Far from being quirky individuals easily recognizable by their quirks, wise people tend to be as discreet as most of the population, and there is nothing in their external and superficial image that leads us to think that they are individuals with any particularity.

Let us see, then, what are those signs that appear when we are in front of wise people.

1. They are curious about a wide variety of subjects.

Knowledge always begins with a question, and wise people ask themselves a great number of them every day. That is why they are often interested in a wide variety of subjects, since it is precisely in those areas of reality in which they have little experience that very broad doubts arise and tempt curious minds. This brings us to the next point.

2. They keep track of their doubts

When wise people realize that there is a question that is crying out to be answered, or when they come across a book, video or article that seems to be a good source of learning, they find a way to recall either that doubt or that piece of information in which answers to the doubts are given..

This record does not have to be strictly a list, but can also be a "Favorites" folder in the browser full of links to interesting content for self-learning.

3. They are not ashamed to show their ignorance

For wise people, ignorance is what is taken for granted, what is given by default with the simple fact of being a human being. What is normal, what happens more often than not, is that we do not know how to answer questionsunless they are directed towards a subject that is considered "general culture". Therefore, they are not ashamed to openly acknowledge their ignorance.

It is here where the difference between wise people and those who only want to pretend to be wise is especially noticeable: the former consider that trying to hide their ignorance means losing an opportunity to learn simply because of social pressure, while the latter prefer to maintain their public image rather than ask about what the other person is talking about.

4. They have life experience and move in many areas.

Wise people, contrary to what is often assumed, get out of the house a lot, otherwise they would not have a knowledge of life based on experience. That means they travel, which allows them to learn about other cultures and points of view, and they have a social life, which gives them access to more wise people. access to more wise people to learn from..

On the other hand, although they may not necessarily be seniors, they have long left adolescence behind. Before that vital stage we are not neurologically prepared to think in abstract terms (something indispensable to reach a sophisticated knowledge about things) and on the other hand we have not had the opportunity to have experience.

5. They tolerate uncertainty

Some people cannot bear the thought of having their beliefs challenged, as this produces a state of discomfort known as cognitive dissonance. However, wise people accept this sense of uncertainty well, because for them any belief is subject to revision. for them any belief is subject to revision and knowledge is conceived as something dynamic.

Moreover, because they constantly ask themselves whether what they thought they knew is still valid, their understanding of the world is sophisticated and nuanced; it is not so much based on simplifications as on the fruits of reflection.

6. Reading is a constant habit

Books and certain sources of information available on the Internet are a valuable resource for learning, and wise people do not waste these elements. This does not mean that they read just anything, but that they are adept at finding the information they are looking for and learn on their own by turning to useful and didactic sources. Whether they are fiction or non-fiction texts, there are thousands of sources of wisdom that address different fields of knowledge and are considered a treasure trove by many people.