Reflecting on Wisdom Essay Example for Free

Reflecting on Wisdom Essay Using the information presented in Ch. 10 of your text and other scholarly sources, describes the attributes that are commonly associated with wise people. Identify a person you have known in your life or someone you have never met. Write a 700- to 900-word paper addressing the following: †¢What characteristics of wisdom does this individual possess? †¢What makes him or her wise? †¢Which of these attributes do you believe you have developed most fully? †¢Which do you believe you need to develop more fully in the years to come? Explain. My friend Liz is probably the only person who I could really turn to for advice and her wisdom and knowledge has always helped me through the rough times and the good times. I remember meeting Liz one day at school and asked if I could borrow a pencil from her during math class. When I returned it back she said I could have it but to try not to lose it since it is an obvious writing instrument to have. Well, after a few days I noticed she would sit alone during lunch time so I asked her if she wanted to join my friends and I for lunch, ever since we have been best of friends. According to my reading in my Positive Psychology books in Ch. 10 Table 10.2 Classification of virtues and character strengths wisdom and knowledge is cognitive strengths that entail the acquisition and use of knowledge. The defining strengths describe her or what she possesses: creativity, curiosity, open-mindedness, love of learning, and perspective. She has always been creative since day one when I asked to borrow a pencil. During that time we were learning how to make a cube out of paper and Liz knew how to do the cube without even asking how to make it. She could make things to be productive. I could recall during a campout with a bunch of girls how to make things out of sticks with leaves and such. It was amazing on how much she knew without really knowing how to do it in the beginning. Her open-mindedness was well respected in our little group of friends that luckily for us we could always count on her to see all sides of an argument. Liz was the really the bookworm of the group, she always had some new book of something so she could learn something new. I remember her Astrology phase which lead into other similar aspects like numerology, love signs, birthday meanings. It was an interesting chapter in all of our lives. What makes Liz wise is that she has patience with everyone and everything. She will sit there and listen to you and give advice and a shoulder to lean on. I remember I was having boy trouble and by the third time the guy and I split he wanted me back the next day. I was so confused by him and his emotions that I went to Liz and ask for advice and what does she think. Being that she knew me and my relationship with the guy, she gave me some good comments and advice that still sticks to me today. She said about the pattern that the guy and I had is not a healthy for either of us. She said that he’s just playing with my emotions and using me for a doormat for something else that was really getting his attention. I was young and naà ¯ve to see what was really going on with him and I thought I was really in love with him. The attributes that I believe I developed most fully is the love of learning. I find everything as a challenge. Mastering skills, topics, and bodies of knowledge keeps me busy and absorbing and experiencing new obstacles. My latest mastering skill is calligraphy. At first it was quite difficult but after some time and practice I am able to make important announcements freehand and it makes me giddy and exhilarated that I created such beautiful work without the help or computers. I always did find calligraphy to be extremely hard but after hard work and patience I say I am a complete natural. The one defining strength I believe I need to develop more in the years is open-mindedness. I always thought I was open-minded for new things or even things I thought I was open-minded to. For example, my boyfriend and I are total opposites when it comes to alcoholic beverages. He prefers wines and hard liquor while I prefer fruity drinks and wine coolers. I told him one day I would try wine some time and when he ordered a case of wine from his catalog, without me knowing, that when the UPS dropped off the wine, my boyfriend had some wine glasses out and ready for me to try. At first I was really against it because I wasn’t in a â€Å"drinking mood† but really it was only because of the comments people would make and say about wine on how it’s bitter and sweet in the same time. After I refused the first glass, he said he thought I was open-minded to try some wine. After that it really got to me on how much I thought I was open-minded when in actuality I was closed-minded. Not only on wine was I not open-minded to but on other things and matters as well. After the comment my boyfriend made I made sure I try it before I â€Å"knocked it off† my list. I tried a few wines, red and whites, and noticed I have neutral taste for the both. I could only manage one glass and after that I am good. It is not because it m ade me spin or intoxicated but the aftertaste is what gets to me.