What does it mean to be wise? Honestly, it has nothing to do with a person’s IQ or degree. A wise person is someone who applies common sense.
Now “common sense” is common after all. It’s about the insights, lessons, and wisdom everyone knows. But the problem is that not everyone applies what they know.
In fact, it’s very uncommon to see people applying common sense.
In this article, we will talk about the habits/behaviors of wise people. Once you know what the habits are, you need to apply and practice them every day in your daily living until it become a habit.
1. Rely on facts, not assumptions
Most people make assumptions without realizing it. Every time we’re not sure about something, we’re making assumptions.
For example: If I send someone an email about a business proposal, and they don’t get back to me in two days, and I think they’re not interested, I’m making an assumption. The belief that someone is not interested because they don’t instantly respond is just an idea that’s not based on facts.
As long as we don’t get a response in that scenario, we can’t say whether we have a deal or not. In our daily lives, we make countless of these assumptions. And most of our judgments are based on our personal beliefs. The problem is we can’t trust our beliefs simply because they are so subjective.
Instead, rely on facts and avoid interpreting everything based on your ideas, beliefs, and feelings. A quick shortcut you can apply is this: Observe your thoughts and ask yourself, “How do I know what I’m thinking is true?” You often find that you either need to ask more questions, do research, or simply wait until you receive feedback.
2. Think from first principles
Some people assume that thinking from first principles means you don’t make assumptions. But for Elon Musk, it means you go even beyond looking at facts.
In an interview, Elon Musk gave an example of how people looked at the cost of batteries: “People would say, ‘Historically it cost $600 per kilowatt-hour, and so it’s not going to be much better than that in the future.’ And you say, No, what are the batteries made of?
First-principles means you say: Okay, what are the material constituents of the batteries?”
Sometimes the facts of today will limit you. At some point, the cost of batteries was at a certain level, but that doesn’t mean the cost cannot decrease. Thinking from first principles is a way to challenge the status quo. It’s looking at what is, and thinking what could be, keeping the laws of human nature and physics in mind.
Wise people constantly ask, “Is there a better way we can do this?”
3. Read a lot and read widely
Every wise person we know has a very broad set of knowledge, ranging from history to economics to psychology. We’re all equipped with this fascinating brain that’s the perfect instrument for solving problems.
But that instrument needs energy and food to properly function. Feeding your body is easy: You eat.
But what about feeding your mind? This is something not a lot of people take seriously. Most people’s days consist of work and leisure. At what moment do you nurture your mind?
It’s when you’re intellectually challenged. That doesn’t happen a lot at our work or social interactions. And it sure as hell doesn’t happen when we’re consuming entertaining content.
The best way to challenge yourself on an intellectual level is to acquire knowledge. The easiest way to do that is to read a book. You can also listen to a book or take a course.
Wise people do something that challenges their minds every day. They read a lot. And they read widely because most mental stimuli come from learning about new things.
4. Take enough time to make decisions
In our fast-paced world, many people think that smart people are “quick on their feet.” But making good decisions is not always a product of quickness. In some situations, it pays off to be a quick decision-maker.
We often become quick decision-makers by first becoming slow decision-makers. This sounds counterintuitive, but it’s the same process as running a marathon. No one runs a marathon on their first run. Similarly, no good decision-maker can be quick at the beginning of their career.
It’s important to take as much time as you can to decide. But no more. Otherwise, we risk procrastinating for no good reason.
5. Listen to other people
It’s funny that the most ignorant people have difficulty listening to advice while the smartest people are usually the first to listen to everyone.
When you converse with someone, take the time to listen to what they have to say. And you need to be really curious as well.
Most people just love to listen to their own voice and don’t care about what others have to say.
The wise people are the opposite. They love to learn from others and are always open to different ideas.
6. Learn from your mistakes
Wise people see mistakes as lessons. Ralph Waldo Emerson said it best: “Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.”
We all make bad judgments and mistakes. That’s not what matters. How do you respond after you make a mistake? That’s the key.
Do you use it to learn? Or do you become more risk-averse after every mistake you make? The former will help you grow, the latter will advance your decay.
As you go through life, it’s important to realize it’s okay to make mistakes. The smartest people in the world don’t necessarily make fewer mistakes. They just don’t let their mistakes go to waste.
The wise people make sure they get something positive and useful out of every interaction. Everything they do feeds on top of everything else they do.
That’s how you create a positive cycle for yourself. That means your life will only get better.
