Wising Up

​To date I have written and had published five books on practical wisdom. My favorite, which at number three falls exactly in the middle, is Wising Up—A Youth Guide to Good Living. Co-authored with M. Jan Rumi, it was published in 2007 by Cowley Publications, an imprint of Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. It is a collection of 80 one-page essays, each with an opening quotation, a good-living principle, and three optional journal or school exercises. Sample essay titles include Go for It!, Wait a Minute!, Stay the Course, Never Say Never, Don’t Boss Others Around, Choose Friends Wisely, Laugh, and Dance. Our final words to our readers are “Best wishes as you take your place in the world. By applying the principles in this book, you should be able to live a truly good life: one that fulfills your dreams while enriching those around you, including Mother Earth.” I am especially proud of the fact that my co-author and I represent all three Abrahamic faiths: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, as well as two diverse nations, the United States and Bangladesh...

So what is wisdom and why is it important? When I do workshops on the subject, I start by saying that the term is comprised of two simple English words: wise and dumb. It’s a laugh line of course but not without its uses. With a high-school group I might pose questions like “Bringing home an A report card, wise or dumb?” The student chorus responds, “Wise.” “Diving into an empty swimming pool, wise or dumb?” “Dumb” is the reply, this time with a groan. Okay, I’ll continue. Our word wisdom actually derives from the Latin visio, the act of seeing, and the Old English (or Anglo-Saxon) verb deman, to judge. You may recognize the latter’s modern descendant, deem, which also means to judge. When we put the two roots together, we come up with something like reaching a decision after having looked at all its possible consequences, good, bad, and indifferent. Think of the outcomes of a poorly chosen career, house purchase, or marriage partner. Wisdom is thus important because it keeps us on a path that leads us to the best possible life for ourselves and those around us.

The posterchild for wisdom in the Judeo-Christian tradition is King Solomon whose so-called Judgment of Solomon is recounted in 1 Kings 3:16-28. Two women, generally referred to as prostitutes, are arguing about which of them is the mother of a baby. As was the habit in those days, they took the issue to King Solomon for adjudication. His solution was to call for a long sword and tell the women he would cut the baby in half, so that each of them could get an equal share. Before that could happen, one of the women shouted, “The baby belongs to her. She is the real mother.” Solomon with his knowledge of human nature said, “No. You are the real mother, since a mother would rather lose her living child than get half of a dead one.” But in fairness, the concept of wisdom is not the possession of any particular culture or religion; rather, it is universal. Consider this quotation from the Hindu class the Bhagavad Gita: “Action should culminate in wisdom.” In my case, however, I would put it the other way around: Our actions should be guided by wisdom. So, please check your local pool for water before diving in—or at least ask the local mayor.

Available from your favorite online bookseller and suitable for youth of all ages.