10/27/10-Solomon Style

Wisdom, as an entity, cannot be "given" nor can it be quickly gained or learned; it is a continual process. Thus, colleges cannot bestow upon their students this virtue. Even if they could, colleges wouldn't choose to teach their students to recognize or practice wisdom. Copious reasons could exist for this, but my thoughts about it are rather simple in form. When students learn wisdom for themselves, they become less reliant upon authority for guidance and wisdom. While not a negative quality in and of itself, they become more difficult to "brainwash" to the opinions and worldviews of professors. Some professors pride themselves on their ability to rock their students' minds. When a student becomes wise, however, they learn to take in others' opinions, but only for the measure that they are worth. The honors program can learn to teach their students wisdom in a variety of ways. Because wisdom, like leadership abilities, is gained primarily through experience, more opportunities for wisdom growing ought to occur. Mentoring is an excellent start to this as it forces students to interact with each other on a deeper level. Service within the community could also serve as a useful device for gaining wisdom as compassion and humility are intrinsic qualities of service and servant leadership. There aren't too many ways that I can pinpoint as "things that the program should add to help their students gain wisdom," but I also believe that the simple act of "forcing" us out of our comfort zones and into the arms of people that are different from us is something that could definitely make us grow as wise individuals. However, wisdom is a choice. It is something that every person has to strive for at an individual level, in the heart. It cannot be thrust upon you through a program or through an activity. Wisdom must be sought after and worked for.