Distinguishing Between Knowledge, Intelligence, and Wisdom

We all tend to use the terms “knowledge”, “intelligence”, and “wisdom” interchangeably. But should we? Of course not. I would not have taken the time to write this up if I thought we should. But what, then, are the differences between the three? And why should anybody bother with these differences, anyway?

It is not that there are nitpicky differences between the three that only a linguist’s eye could catch. None of them are even close to the same thing, and still, these days, they’re swapped out for one another like they’re synonyms. This is of great detriment to our understanding of ourselves. It makes it more difficult for us to differentiate between types of what are typically simply called “smart” people. We wonder why some titans of writing can’t seem to grasp mathematics for the life of them, or why wise old philosophers can’t seem to grasp astronomy as well as the average Cosmos enthusiast. The answer to such wonderings is an easy one; there’s more than one types of “smart” person, and while they often overlap, these types aren’t necessarily connected at all. Let us, then, explore what knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom really are, and how these distinctions may be applied in life.

Knowledge is not something fundamental. We are not born with it or predetermined to attain it. Knowledge is an entirely experiential phenomenon. Birth does, undoubtedly, play a role in it; some of us are naturally more adept at learning or more eager to learn. But, simply put, knowledge is what we…