Wisdom - Head & Heart

“THERE IS A WISDOM OF THE HEAD, AND A WISDOM OF THE HEART” – CHARLES DICKENS

Wisdom is the quality of having and using knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense and insight on a balanced platform. It is one of the best forms of human characteristics. On the whole, it is something that shapes up our life and moulds us as a person, being totally philosophical, independent of cumulative theories. 

Wisdom is not only limited to being wise but it is being and acting wiser at the same time. Thoughts and actions of a particular person should coincide naturally. In a given situation, the heart might signal to go ahead or not with a particular action, but the mind might signal against the heart. Here, wisdom is when both, the signal from the heart and the mind match with each other to give out a common result. It is the mind in the head that gives a sense of realization. 

A person in love will definitely take the signal from the heart and be compassionate towards his love interest. He always listens to his heart rather than to his mind, trying to justify his acts. In love, a man is like a cricketer; the heart is stumped out but the mind keeps appealing. In contrast, a soldier at the front will take the signal from his mind and will definitely not leave the enemy in front of him and shoot him dead, and here the mind signals to hit the target failing on emotional and human values. The chances of being wise in both the cases are very meek, since there is no correlation between the heart and the mind. 

In case of a child, a mother is emotionally attached to her child but the father may be stern towards the child while decision making. The mother may not be able to see her child bearing pain whereas the father would want the child to understand the ups and downs of life by facing life as it is.

Wisdom of the heart is totally based on emotional feelings, like love-hate, happiness-sadness, pain-pleasure whereas wisdom of the mind is totally based on success, based on ground realities which are nowhere related to feelings. The brain has no heart. The heart has no brain. That is why when you speak your mind out you seem to be heartless and when you do what your heart asks you to do, you seem to be senseless. But this is the reality. What you perceive is your reality, what I perceive is my reality. There is no reality as such, there are only perceptions.

The mind can live with a lie, but not the heart. The heart expands faster towards wisdom, compassion and strength than the mind that probably restricts itself, and always seeks peace and pleasure avoiding pain. A mind can play the role of a heart only when the content of the mind is understood. Differently, a no-mind can be called an empty heart; in turn having their wisdom to be equivalent. When wisdom enters your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to your soul, discretion will preserve you; understanding will keep you, to deliver you away from the way of evil. 

Knowledge is knowing what to say. Wisdom of the head is knowing whether to say it or not. Wisdom of the heart is knowing when to say it and when not to.

Wisdom of the head makes you understand, whereas wisdom of the heart makes you realize. Complete wisdom is how you apply your knowledge through the medium of your mind when your heart is free from negative emotions and inculcate beneficial virtues and values in life.