In our culture, we admire those that are at the top of their fields. Whether it be sports, entertainment, or science and technology, we hold those that have succeeded up as role models. In any of the scientific or technological disciplines, we admire those that have a very high I.Q. That’s totally understandable but what about their W.Q…their Wisdom Quotient?

As impressive as a high IQ is, there is one quotient that is even more impressive. That is a high Wisdom Quotient. According to Dr. Michael G. Bassous, in his blog post entitled, IQ, EQ,…but what about WQ, “Historically, wisdom has been associated with age, maturity, accomplishments, and/or social status. Early biblical writings refer to King Solomon as being wise, and the Book of Proverbs is full of wisdom sayings.” S. Mitra says, “If properly developed as a tool, Wisdom Quotient will be the future of human intelligence. Unlike IQ/Logical Intelligence and EQ, Emotional Intelligence, WQ (Wisdom Quotient) is still not quantifiable, but it will be in the future.” Maybe it is not all that quantifiable, but we all know people who are extremely bright but have made some really bad decisions because they lack a high or even a moderate Wisdom Quotient.

How many of us, looking back on our lives, would love to have made different decisions? Decisions that could have been better made with more wisdom? Where can we get that needed wisdom? Certainly experience and time give us some, but it is so much easier to get wisdom without having to make bad decisions in order to attain it. We can look at other people’s lives and get some, i.e. learn from their bad or good decisions and incorporate that wisdom into our own thought process. As Dr. Bassous says above, we can also get some from reading the Book of Proverbs.

The Book of Proverbs is chock full of pithy sayings that teach us wisdom. From family relationships, husband and wife relationships, sexuality, finances, work ethics and a host of other subjects, you will find this little book a ready source of wisdom. King Solomon wrote it and many a successful person has used it to guide their lives. What are a few things that Solomon would say to us about wisdom?

In beautiful poetic language, he says, “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. Exalt her and she will promote you; she will bring you honor, when you embrace her. She will place on your head an ornament of grace; a crown of glory she will deliver to you.” Proverbs 4: 7-9 Lovely words, aren’t they? Kind of makes you want to get some, doesn’t it?

But where do we start when we want wisdom? Again, Proverbs answers that question. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10 I’ve thought about that verse a lot. Why is the fear of the Lord the beginning of wisdom? I’ve concluded that without a respect (holy fear) of the Lord, a person can’t attain all the wisdom he needs in life. If we go through life never acknowledging the Lord and just make up our own values and morals as we go along, we are likely to end up at a dead end. Respecting the Lord and giving heed to His principles will take us where we want to go in this life in order to be successful.

Do you need a higher Wisdom Quotient? Do I? The answer is always, yes. We can never have too much wisdom. I challenge you to read one chapter of Proverbs a day for a month. Then, look at your own Wisdom Quotient and see if it has risen. I guarantee it will have and it will help you make better decisions along the way!