When we look at the difference between knowledge and wisdom, we see that both terms are similar. Knowledge will be dealing with a set of knowledge that can be attained from books, schools, or teachers. Wisdom is applied knowledge after the attainment of knowledge. Knowing the difference between the two will be essential for formulating a strong mindset. That mindset will allow you to operate at an advanced level of thinking. Once you reach that stage, then you will not only have a change in how you think but also how you and

Looking at knowledge first, we can see that this is the starting point for most of our learning. I know many people who attain a wealth of knowledge but never do anything. Knowledge is only as good as the user allows it to be. For example, if you read 100’s of self-help books every year,  but you are still riddled with depression, anxiety, and bad habits, you could young the point of what the book is. The books you read are a set of knowledge that can or cannot be based on someone’s own experience(wisdom). This knowledge must be applied to the areas of your life you are seeking change.

That change can be a long process of trial and error, or it can be quickly implemented.  These factors will depend on your ambition and ability to learn the knowledge base. I like to think of knowledge as the tools in the toolbox. Right now, you can go to a hardware store and buy a set of tools and materials and begin to build something.  You can read a thousand books on what to do, but that doesn’t mean you will be able to build anything of quality. Of course, you have all the material you need to build the item, but you may be lacking the experience or exact skill set. In this situation, wisdom gives you the know-how to complete the task masterfully.

Knowledge is only an awareness of a subject, skill, information, etc. This means that even if you read every book in the world about riding a bike, you will still not have the ability to ride a bike. Yes, you know what it should look like and where your hands and feet go. However,  the process of riding a bike is not as simple as reading a book, and magically,  you can ride. You will need to gain experience and practice with trial and error to apply to ride the bike. The same is true in every piece of knowledge you gain. Just because you gain knowledge doesn’t mean you know how to apply it or teach it effectively.

On the other hand, wisdom is defined as applying knowledge, common sense, and experience. Have you ever looked at someone who has gone off to college and received an education,  but still seems aloof? It could be that they lack the essentials of wisdom. They could have a wealth of information in their head, but if they are unable to apply it, they will give off the air of lacking the three basics of what wisdom entails. Elon Musk once said in an interview, “You can have a college degree and still be an idiot.” This statement is true because going to school doesn’t mean you will be smart when you graduate. However, getting an education starts and can lead to wisdom areas.

The first area will be applying what they know at the right place and at the right time. This is going to be a mix of both experience and knowledge. If you have a veteran worker at any place of work, they can show any recruit the ropes. The ropes will be speaking about how to do the job. Now, if the person walking the new hire around has years of experience, one would believe that the new hire will take all that wisdom and be excellent at the job. Some people will start running and do well, but most people will have to work to become better. This does not mean they didn’t get good training; it is just how the brain works. It takes time to adapt to new knowledge and environments.

This is why wisdom trumps knowledge after the fact of attaining the knowledge. Wisdom is the exact knife you have had for years, but only sharper than it has ever been before. Wisdom is taking the experiences that happened and taking a lesson from each scenario. That is why people can do their jobs in an almost effortless fashion. We can see the final product, but we didn’t see the build-up and the work required for them to get to that level. The ego plays some role in the beginning stages of wisdom, but it eventually becomes more humble as time passes and experience is gained.

The second area will be the person thinking, acting, and discerning what will be best or true in any specified scenario. This type of wisdom is most closely related to common sense. Think of this like touching a hot flame for the first time. Once you have experience with your hand touching the flame and experience the flame as being hot and dangerous, you will not continually stick your hand in the fire. However, people still choose to do actions with prior wisdom that does not have a good outcome; wisdom is optional.

Sometimes, I like to use an example of a poor relationship to think of wisdom. I know that if the relationship is bad and you will not stay there long-term. That is wisdom. If you start another relationship where you find another person with all the same traits and the relationship ends up the same as your previous one, then that is a failure to apply wisdom. Wisdom can be used to learn a lesson so you do not keep making the same mistakes. However, being wise doesn’t mean we will operate under the best course of action.

In this area of wisdom, many people do not know how to comprehend it. People will think they know what is best, but they do not do the work needed to ensure the outcome comes out in their favor. This is a combination of laziness and not being willing to rise to the challenge of the task. Wisdom is good if you want to apply knowledge to make sure you are in a better place, for it is the wise thing to do. Understanding what is to come might be the closest thing we can get to see the future. This is the typical cause and effect of our actions and choices.

The final area of wisdom is passing down information as knowledge. I am a huge advocate of sharing my experiences and wisdom with whomever I can. I understand that the information I have within me can help people reach heights sooner than I did due to my guidance and past experiences. I remember, growing up, my father would lecture us for hours at a time. He would share his wisdom with us. To this day, I have started to see not what people know but where people are.

When I look at where people are, I can ask how they got there or why they got there. One question asks, in hopes, if I can replicate what they did (knowledge). The other is asking for their experience in hopes that I do not make the same mistakes(wisdom). This type of wisdom is up to perspective because I will preach based on my primary life lessons. However, I am more than just my lessons. That means that for my teachings and wisdom to be remembered and utilized, I have to phrase them so people can see a significant meaning behind the words. This will require an intermediate level of thinking, but if someone uses this wisdom to benefit, it will be someone on that mental level.

Understanding the difference between knowledge and wisdom is an excellent way to reach new heights in your life. Success can come from either knowledge or wisdom. The how to get there will be up to each person. I am the type of person who looks at someone’s downfalls more than I look to replicate success. Apart from creating a new path that can reach success, I choose to understand to avoid the pitfalls and traps. This is my preference, and I encourage you to understand or find yours too. There is no reason to have unneeded trauma on the journey to greatness. Finding out whether you are knowledge-dominant or wisdom dominant can be a great start in the change you seek.

All in all, the difference between knowledge vs. wisdom will depend on what type of person you are. If you are a person who pushes through the world by staying up with the latest trends, then knowledge will be your trump card. If you are more interested in getting to where you want to go with ease and certainty, then applying the lessons of wisdom will be a critical part of that attainment. Knowledge and wisdom can be used to progress, but having a mind of knowledge alone will inflate the ego and not help you find your true power. That true power comes with the attainment and realization of wisdom.

Until then,

Michael Rearden

Founder of Reven Concepts