Wisdom Stories

Return to Wisdom

Stories about practical wisdom can be helpful to have in mind while working on a theory of wisdom. We're looking for stories that range from the "stupid" to the "unwise", but also stories that range from ordinary wisdom to extraordinary wisdom. We'll sort them out as we develop our theories.

Here are some examples. Add yours!

Painter's Story

As a grad student, I painted houses in the summer in the Texas heat. After one particularly long hot day, I started disassembling some scaffolding while standing on it.

The Water Heater Story

My water heater started leaking from a overflow valve. I formed a theory that the valve was operating properly and would reseat itself, even though it kept leaking. I wasn't thinking about it the right way.

At a club meeting

I was at a club meeting and someone got really excited about using some website to schedule meetings and communicate, but the person didn't consider that their enthusiasm might not be shared.