A Guide To Using Wisdom In Hardships

The concept of wisdom and how it may be useful during times of hardship have been explored over the centuries by scholars, philosophers, and psychologists. While wisdom may at times be difficult to define, understanding what wisdom is—and how it might be applied in hard situations—may be valuable for bolstering resilience, supporting mental health, and contributing to overall well-being. This article explores how wisdom may be defined, its possible benefits during hardship, and several techniques that may be useful for applying wisdom to difficult life events. 

Defining wisdom

Before exploring wisdom’s potential benefits during hardship, it may be worth reviewing the different ways of defining wisdom. Some people define wisdom on the basis of knowledge, while others may consider factors like age or life experience.

This might be a useful baseline definition for the purposes of examining wisdom’s role in facing a challenge or difficult event. 

However, wisdom is believed to have multiple facets, and researchers have long worked to identify the concrete traits that contribute to a person having wisdom. Their work has led to the development of several frameworks, one of which is the three-dimensional wisdom scale. 

Developed in the 1990s by sociologist Monika Ardelt, the three-dimensional wisdom scale, or 3D-WS, breaks down wisdom into three key personal strengths, or “dimensions”:

• Affect: The affective dimension focuses on the ability to practice compassion and empathy toward others. 
• Reflection: The reflective dimension refers to a person’s ability to seek out and reflect on different perspectives. 
• Cognition: The cognitive dimension centers on understanding—or seeking to understand—reality, or why things are the way they are.

The three-dimensional wisdom scale, while not a universal model, has been used in a variety of studies attempting to quantify wisdom and its effects on well-being in the face of hardship. 

How can wisdom be beneficial during challenging times?

Now that we’ve examined possible ways of defining and measuring wisdom, it may be useful to explore what the research says about the role wisdom may play in a person’s ability to respond to a difficult life event. When thinking about wisdom and hardship, one might imagine using wisdom in the form of advice from others. However, the ability to use one’s own wisdom to overcome adversity can also be powerful.

For example, a 2016 study published in The Journals of Gerontology: Series B examined the relationship between scores on the three-dimensional wisdom scale and responses to challenging life events. The study found that greater wisdom, especially in the reflective dimension, counteracted the effects of adverse life events on well-being. In other words, wisdom may help to protect one’s well-being in the face of adversity. 

Using wisdom in hardships: Techniques and strategies

Even with the understanding of how wisdom may be useful during hardship, it may not always be easy to find practical ways of applying it. The following list of strategies, while not exhaustive, may be helpful for those interested in using wisdom to support well-being, resilience, and mental health.

Taking a step back: During a crisis or challenge, it may be easy to lose objectivity, particularly when you perceive that you need to respond to the event quickly. However, getting some distance from the problem may allow for greater reflection. This could be as simple as going for a walk, changing environments, or taking a few minutes to relax the mind.

Practicing reframing: Rather than viewing challenging situations as crises, it may be helpful to try reframing them as opportunities. Because wisdom can come from experience, identifying the growth or learning opportunities in hardship may allow you to regain a sense of control. This, in turn, may be helpful for counteracting the effects of panic or stress. 

Turning to experience: Since wisdom can often come from life experience, reflecting on previous challenges may also be helpful for responding to hardship. Even if what you’re facing seems like the most difficult event you’ve experienced yet, it may still be worth thinking back on other times when you’ve had similar experiences. You might consider asking yourself, “What coping strategies did I use in other tough situations?”

Practicing mindfulness: Practicing mindfulness, such as mindfulness meditation, may be a useful strategy for tapping into the reflective or cognitive dimensions of wisdom. Returning your attention to the present moment may help to ground the body, calm the nervous system, and allow for greater clarity in decision-making. Setting aside five minutes to focus on your breath and let thoughts arise and pass may help to provide relief from feelings of anxiety. This technique could also be helpful for finding new meaning during times of hardship. 

Seeking social support: Several frameworks of wisdom, including the three-dimensional wisdom scale, reference the ability to seek out and consider diverse perspectives as part of the foundation of wisdom. Thus, when you’re facing a challenge, it may be helpful to seek out the wisdom of other people. This could be as simple as talking to a friend, mentor, colleague, or family member to identify new ways of approaching the problem. 

Another possible source of support during hardship is therapy, whether in person or online. A therapist may be able to suggest new ways of viewing a challenge, strategies for recognizing cognitive distortions, or advice for using wisdom to navigate future hardship.

For those who are experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety related to current challenges, it may be difficult to leave the house to attend an in-person therapy session. In these cases, online therapy may serve as a more viable option. With remote therapy, you can attend sessions from the comfort of home via flexible formats like voice call, video call, or live chat. Online therapy also tends to be more affordable than in-office therapy without insurance.  

Online therapy has been identified as an effective alternative to in-person therapy when it comes to treating a variety of mental illnesses. According to UCLA Health, researchers have looked at more than 60 studies on the effectiveness of online therapy and found it to be just as effective as in-person therapy for depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder.