Examples of Wisdom In Everyday Life
From the beginning of the book we have mentioned how wisdom can be acquired and improved. However, the important thing is for people to learn how to apply wisdom in their lives and find out where and when they can use it. Wisdom is not a quality that comes about with great inventions or something that enables success only in important areas of our lives. On the contrary, it is reflected in our daily lives, from cleaning to eating, from clothing to art. For this reason, we will give examples of how wisdom is applied to everyday life in this chapter.
The Thought Processes of a Wise Person
Above all else, the wise person thinks of how he can earn Allah's approval at all times. He analyses everything that goes on around him and, abiding by his conscience, decides what is the best thing for him to do in that situation.
He never restrains his thoughts, he thinks freely. His horizon is as broad as possible. He is freed of all bigotry, baseless fears and dogmas.
Because he doesn't place any limits on his thoughts, he always comes up with ideas which are straightforward but very effective.
He never occupies his mind with unnecessary thoughts. He never spends his time on things that will not benefit him, that will waste his time, or that will hinder him from spending time on truly important issues.
He puts the needs of the people around him first. He thinks of how he can help these people with their safety, health, and happiness and, if there are any obstacles in achieving these goals, he deals with them without any delay.
He always thinks of things that can be of benefit to religion and believers. He always wants and tries to do beneficial things.
A wise person also plans ahead of time. He focuses his thoughts on whatever he is aiming at. He never concentrates on trivial details.
He thinks of events in stages. He takes precautions by predicting what will happen a few stages later, what the potential dangers might be, or what improvements are likely to happen.
He also thinks of past events. He draws the most sensible and wise conclusions from his experiences and hence accumulates valuable lessons that he may apply in the future.
Whenever negative or wrong things come to mind, he knows that they are only Satan's deceitful words and he takes refuge in Allah.
And with the knowledge that there is a purpose and beauty in everything Allah has created, he thinks "there is good in all".
A Wise Person's Conversations and Speech
A wise person's utterances are the most fitting, wise, genuine, and helpful. Because his vision is broad, the examples he gives are most original and therefore the most effective. Instead of talking excessively he prefers to talk briefly of worthwhile things. He talks when it is necessary and when it is most appropriate. In his wisdom, he determines when it is best to speak and when it is not. For example, he doesn't engage a person in a hurry with unimportant things.
Moreover, he doesn't waste his time by making pointless speeches on meaningless topics. and he only talks about an important topic in relation to its significance.
A wise person makes sincere speeches straight from the heart. He doesn't have a set type. He knows that a truly effective speech is one that comes from within.
Neither does he speak in a monotonous voice, or repeat the same words, sentences, and style. He doesn't use abusive or hurtful words in his speech. He never upsets others by mocking them. He always conveys what he wants to in a clear and precise way.
A Wise Person's Understanding of Art and Decoration
A wise person takes Allah's artistry as an example above all else. He knows that the imagery of Heaven mentioned in the Qur'an draws attention to materials that give the most pleasure to the human soul and so he tries to imitate these decorations in worldly terms.
As with everything else, he doesn't constrain himself with any rules on this issue. He knows that he doesn't have to place constraints on his style by following fashion. He can make use of all the civilizations and cultures throughout history and be inspired by all the works of art they left behind.
Among these works of art he can analyse which ones are the most appealing to the human eye and give pleasure to the human soul in terms of art and aesthetics. and by combining the most aesthetic pieces, he can come up with an incomparable masterpiece.
Such a person can also combine comfort with art and aesthetics. For this reason, it is very pleasurable as well as comfortable to live in a place which a wise person has decorated. The pieces he chooses are designed to be the most hygienic for human health, most comfortable, easiest to clean, and the most hardwearing, as well as being aesthetically pleasing. For example, he won't use a piece for its good appearance, if it contains harmful smells or chemicals. Instead, he can achieve the same beauty by using different materials.
In addition, he can continuously make new changes in decoration. With the same materials, in the same setting he can put together hundreds of totally different kinds of decor. He never allows for the decoration of the place he is living in to become monotonous. He always makes the place he lives in beautiful by making small or big changes.
Decoration put together by the power of wisdom won't include anything unappealing to the eye. The light and sound arrangement, and the choice of colours would be the most calming and pleasurable to the human eye and soul.
He gives importance to symmetry in decoration. He can calculate the pleasure of symmetry and confusion of asymmetry that the human eye and soul will experience.
The Dexterity of a Wise Person
A wise person achieves dexterity by using his wisdom. When he faces a situation that requires him to use skill, he appraises the available options in the best way, plans which task performed in which way will yield the best result, and when he applies this, he achieves the perfect solution. He carries out every job in the most practical way. When he faces a sudden problem, he deals with it in the best way with whatever he has to hand, if it is insufficient.
When he faces a setback, he firstly figures out if he can offset it by whatever means and knowledge he possesses. If he can solve the problem he tries to get rid of it. But if the problem is a technical one and surpasses his ability, he solves the problem by calling on the most competent and knowledgeable person in the field, without wasting any time.
He brings lasting and clear solutions to problems, not temporary or primitive ones. He knows that the harm that may be done if the task is not correctly carried out will require greater effort to reverse than that initially expended on the problem.
