How to Become a Bit Wiser

Wisdom is one of the grandest and oddest words out there, so lofty it doesn’t sound like something we could ever be. But wisdom deserves to be rehabilitated and take its place among a host of other, more typical aspirations we might have; we should be as keen to end up wise as we are to be thin or prosperous. Wisdom is just a very beautiful word for a set of qualities of character that enable us to face reality with serenity, good humour, kindness and resilience. Crucially, being wise is not something we are ever born. It is a skill that can be learnt, in part, by knowing what it is we are aiming at. This is a guide to what wisdom can be and at the same time, a gentle and elegant visual reminder to remain as wise as we are at our best and calmest moments.

Qualities examined: Realism, Politeness, Envy, Selfishness, Gratitude, Self-Acceptance, Resilience, Regrets, Sane Insanity, Forgiveness, Worldliness, Folly, Melancholy, Self-Knowledge, Scepticism, Simplicity, Vulnerability, Calm, Dishonesty.