Aging and Wisdom

Question 1

What is wisdom?

Answer 1

The expertise in the fundamental pragmatics of life permitting exceptional insight and judgment involving complex and uncertain matters of the human condition

Question 2

What is the trajectory of wisdom over the life course? What 2 factors seem to be more important determinants of wisdom as we age?

Answer 2

For most people, wisdom increases over the life span; personality factors and wisdom-related experiences seem to be more important than intelligence

Question 3

What is a successful outcome of the psychosocial task of old age?

Answer 3

Findings about wisdom are consistent with Erikson’s proposal that a successful outcome of the psychosocial task of old age is a sense of wholeness and completeness achieved through introspection, i.e., wisdom