The Art Of Being A Wise Person: 8 Simple Habits Of Naturally Wise People
True wisdom has very little to do with age or experience.
Amar Preciado | Pexels Wisdom isn't something that arrives automatically with age or education. Rather, it's a collection of habits and perspectives that anyone can cultivate through intentional living and thoughtful observation of life's patterns.
The habits that naturally wise people practice daily are surprisingly accessible. They are small, consistent choices that compound over time to create peaceful lives of extraordinary depth and positive influence on everyone they encounter.
Here are 8 simple habits of naturally wise people:
1. They nurture continual curiosity
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Without nurturing continual curiosity, it’s impossible to develop a deep wisdom that sets you apart. A lot of this emerges naturally. But it just as quickly gets crushed in the rush of the everyday.
As such, we can view curiosity as a habit that must be maintained and fed daily. The more curious you are, the more curious you become. This will not only deepen your wisdom — it will keep your mind out of your ruminations.
2. They aren't ruled by fantasy
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More people than we think are ruled by fantasy. The media plays a huge role in creating the sense that the world is a frightening and hostile place when it is not.
This drives people to escape, and fantasy is the apparent elixir to this illusory pain — even if it takes the form of yet more fake news. These people are at the mercy of deception because they rarely see things for what they are. Wise people are realists, and fantasy makes them uneasy.
Fantasy can serve as a form of mental exploration or escapism, and can be used in therapy. However, research points to the importance of embracing discomfort and facing reality for personal growth, suggesting that avoiding discomfort through fantasy could be counterproductive to developing wisdom.
3. They never stop asking why
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Most people are content with the surface level. Either they don’t care enough to go deeper, they don’t want to ‘rock the boat,’ or they’re simply too busy to find out. Wise people aren’t satisfied with surface details.
They follow through on their inquiries. They ask probing questions. They know that the juicy stuff lies at the heart. The root is where truth and leverage exist. Like curious five-year-olds, wise people never stop asking: "But, why?"
4. They embrace 'cognitive flexibility'
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Wise people are acutely aware of the distracting nature of our thoughts. They know that true insight comes when incessant personal thinking is eased to give space in the mind for true intelligence to come through.
They continually practice the art of letting go of unhelpful thoughts to connect with inner wisdom. They're not afraid to acknowledge and work with the spiritual aspect of intelligence.
Cognitive flexibility is the ability to adapt thinking and behavior to new situations and challenges. Our minds have a limited capacity for worry. By letting go of constant, unhelpful mental loops, you free up cognitive resources for dealing with immediate concerns and long-term goals.
5. You look (and find) real solutions
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People seek out wise people when they have problems that need solving. These people become wise, not because they have a rosy and therefore deluded view of the world, but because they are driven to find real solutions to problems.
They are in the business of wisdom because they can genuinely help. I’d be out of work as a writer and coach if I couldn’t find genuine solutions for my clients. When you continually look for solutions that work, your thinking stays sharp, and you develop massive potential value.
6. They live with a comfortable level of risk
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The stereotype of a wise soul is often someone who sits around not doing much. However, the wise owl has been hunting mice and dodging foxes all day.
The smartest people actively fill their lives with risk. They are not reckless, but they take calculated, bold steps at the edges of comfort. If they didn’t, they would do as most others do: stay safe and gather very little new information rooted in experience.
Research suggests that wisdom doesn't necessarily mean taking more risks, but that certain calculated risks can lead to personal growth and opportunities. When you purposefully engage with new and uncertain experiences, you build resilience and become more comfortable with the unknown over time.
7. They gather knowledge
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Wise people couple real-world activity and experience with voracious knowledge-gathering, whether from books, mentors, courses, or videos.
They go deep into particular topics, but they also dip into areas outside their chosen area of focus to see new connections and create interesting ‘knowledge hybrids’ that others fail to see. They commit time daily to absorbing more information, not for the sake of it, but because it adds to their ability to contribute and find solutions.
8. They value what people do, not what they say
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The truth you are looking for is rarely found through what someone is telling you. A promise or brag must always be taken with a grain of salt.
A wise person understands the unreliability of words alone and tends to observe actions as a more reliable indicator of character and underlying motivation. Research shows that this reflects a mature understanding of the limitations of explicit claims and the deeper truths revealed by implicit actions.
Learn, instead, from what people do. People-watch like a hawk, and you will set yourself apart in your acquired real-world understanding.
It is one’s actions that show us what is happening. Action shows us the truth, and truth lies at the heart of clarity, understanding, and thus wisdom.
Alex Mathers is a writer and coach who helps you build a money-making personal brand with your knowledge and skills while staying mentally resilient. He's the author of the Mastery Den newsletter, which helps people triple their productivity.
