{"id":8484,"date":"2022-11-14T22:45:54","date_gmt":"2022-11-14T22:45:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yogajournal.com\/?p=88489"},"modified":"2022-11-14T22:45:54","modified_gmt":"2022-11-14T22:45:54","slug":"scientists-say-this-10-minute-test-can-tell-you-how-wise-you-are","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/14\/scientists-say-this-10-minute-test-can-tell-you-how-wise-you-are\/","title":{"rendered":"Scientists Say This 10-Minute Test Can Tell You How Wise You Are"},"content":{"rendered":"
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If you look around in your friend group, it seems like everyone has a role. There\u2019s the funny one, the quiet one, the smart one, the one who\u2019s good with numbers. But research shows that it\u2019s the wise one who may have a leg up on mental wellness.<\/p>\n

\u201cWisdom measures\u2026have been shown to be associated with a variety of positive outcomes such as happiness, mental and physical health, and self-rated successful aging,\u201d according to a report by researchers Dilip V. Jeste, MD, of the University of California San Diego, and Michael Thomas of Colorado State University.<\/p>\n

A high score on a wisdom survey such as the one they developed suggests you may have greater levels of optimism and resilience<\/a>, and less depression and loneliness. It might also be associated with graceful aging.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need wisdom for surviving and thriving in life,\u201d says Jeste.<\/p>\n

What is wisdom?<\/h2>\n

In Sanskrit, the word jnana<\/em> can be translated as \u201cwisdom.\u201d It\u2019s different from what we might call \u201cbook smarts,\u201d which we associate with thinking or cognition. It\u2019s more than gaining deep knowledge through study of philosophy or scriptures. And even svadyaya<\/em><\/a>, self-study, is only part of the equation.<\/p>\n

\u201cWisdom is a knowledge or understanding that we gain as a result of having seen or perceived the world directly. It is understanding gained through careful examination of direct experience,\u201d writes Stephen Cope<\/a> in The Wisdom of Yoga: A Seeker\u2019s Guide to Extraordinary Wisdom<\/a>. Cope, a psychotherapist and senior Kripalu yoga teacher, says, \u201cAbove all, wisdom is a practical knowledge about how things work\u2014how life works. It is the kind of knowledge that makes us more skillful in living.\u201d<\/p>\n

How scientists measure wisdom<\/h2>\n

Despite the intangible nature of wisdom, scientists have been developing increasingly effective ways to measure it. Some use the San Diego Wisdom Scale<\/a> developed by Jeste, which includes questions designed to assess the seven attributes<\/a> associated with wisdom:<\/p>\n