Although people value intelligence—understanding, reasoning, the ability to learn—they also respect wisdom, or the knowledge and experience that we accumulate over a lifetime. Cognitive scientists call the former “fluid intelligence, ” which does reduce somewhat during adulthood, and the latter “crystallized intelligence, ” which generally improves with age.
诚然，智商对我们来说很重要 ——理解力，推理能力，以及学习能力都属于智力范畴；但是我们也要尊重智慧，换句话说，智慧就是我们毕生积累下来的知识和经验的总和。认知科学家们称智商为“流体智力”，意为人在进入成年期后智商的确会随年龄增长而有所降低；相反，“晶体智力”是科学家们颁给智慧的头衔，智慧像结晶过程一样，会随着年龄增长而愈加完善。
In some ways, wisdom is like beauty: we value it, we desire it, we know it when we see it, but it is nearly impossible to pin down such an ethereal quality. But researchers have tried—and here’s what they’ve found.
在某些方面，智慧有点像美貌 -- 我们重视它，都渴望得到它，一眼就能分辨出它，但想要固化这样一个高尚的似乎不可及的优秀品质却难上加难。不过，我们的研究者们没有放弃过对它的探索，以下是他们的科学发现。
The Definition of Wisdom
智慧的定义
In the late 1980s, the Berlin Wisdom Project at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development defined wisdom as having:
在1980年代末期，麦克斯普朗克人类发展学会发起了一项名为“柏林智慧研究”的研究项目，并给智慧下了一个定义：智慧即要具备
* Intellectual knowledge
* 学术知识
* Factual knowledge
* 生活实用知识
* Superior judgment
* 出众的判断力
* Excellent problem-solving skills
* 出色的解决问题能力
* The ability to learn from experience
* 从经验中学习的能力
* Humility
* 谦虚
* Emotional resilience, or the ability to rebound from a setback
* 情绪回弹力，或称能从挫折中迅速恢复的能力（达观）
* Openness, or the maturity to be comfortable allowing the world to see you as you really are
* 心胸开阔，或称能够接受自己的成熟的心态
* A deep understanding of human nature, including empathy for people who are different or from other cultures
* 对人本性有深刻了解，包括对来自不同文化背景的人的同情理解，感同身受的能力
Don't have all these qualities? Almost everyone has the capacity to become wiser, especially if you strengthen these six habits that the wisest people all share in common.
聪明人下功夫研究人际关系
Studies show that people who stay connected to others demonstrate higher levels of wisdom than those who are more isolated. Make an effort to join a new club, reconnect with far-flung friends on Facebook, or invite an old friend or new co-worker for coffee. Next time you’re at a party or gathering, single out someone who’s standing alone and strike up a conversation. People generally love to talk about themselves; you, on the other hand, have a harder job: to listen closely.
经研究表明，人脉活络的人比自我封闭的人更有智慧。努力加入一个新的俱乐部，在脸谱网上和许久不联系的朋友通通话，或者邀上一位老相识或新同事去喝杯咖啡。下次不论参加派对还是聚会，尝试着和独自到来的客人搭话聊天。天性使然，人们都喜欢谈论自己，而这时的你呢，有个稍艰巨点的任务 ---- 侧耳倾听。
They practice being open-minded.
聪明人通过训练使自己思维开阔
Wisdom involves being able to understand all sides of an issue without letting emotions or personal feelings get in the way. Being open-minded means finding empathy and realizing that everyone has a life story that influences their actions. During the course of every day, make a note of the issues that bug you, and take a moment to see them from the other side.
智慧，包含全方位、头脑清晰、不受情感和个人感情影响的理解问题的能力。而一个开阔的思维就意味着人要以开阔的胸襟去感知和感受每一个人，因为人人都有独特的经历，影响每个人行为处事的事情也不尽相同。在生命的每一天里，都将你遇到的棘手的小问题随手记下来，然后花点时间，从另个方面去思考进而解决这个问题。
They've learned how to say, "I could be wrong."
聪明人会说“我说的也不一定对”
A wise person understands that it is impossible to know everything and that life is capable of taking unexpected turns. Recognizing your errors can lead only to greater wisdom, and admitting that there are times when you could be mistaken will go a long way in solidifying your reputation as someone whose advice can be trusted. As the Roman philosopher Cicero said, “Any man is liable to err; only a fool persists in error.”
凡智者，都明白这样一个道理：尽晓天下事是不可能的，生活的本质就在于人要学会应对意料之外。能够认识到自己的错误就已经是大智慧了，而承认自己有时也会被误导则会进而巩固你在别人心目中的好印象----- 一个智者，你说的话提的建议中肯，大家可以采纳。就像罗马哲学家西塞罗说的：“任何人都会犯错；但只有傻瓜才拒绝承认这一点。”
They switch up what types of books they read.
聪明人广读书
While current events are important, both fiction and nonfiction books can help you expand your worldview and allow you to explore new ideas and points of view. Mix up your bookshelf: Read histories, biographies and memoirs, funny reads, fictional books that expose you to new cultures and eras, and books that present a point of view or make a case about certain aspects of heath/science, politics, and other subjects.
了解时事固然重要，但是别忘了，小说类与非小说类书籍都能帮你拓展世界观，激发你的新思维和新观点。所以，让自己的书架丰富起来吧：广泛阅读历史类、传记和回忆类、轶事类、能带你跨过时空领略不同的文化的小说类书籍，以及那些以评论见长，或用实例论说某学科的书籍，如健康，科学，政治等。
They tap into their self-knowledge.
聪明人善发掘自身
You’ve learned a lot just by being alive, but have you taken the time to review all that you’ve learned? Try this exercise: write down your three biggest failures and three greatest successes. For each, review the events that led up to it and what lessons you took away from the experience. Look for patterns. This is not a time for regret or pride; the goal is to look at each experience, good or bad, as more fuel to enrich your wisdom.
人，仅凭每天活着就能学到许多东西，但问题是你是否花时间去整理复习你学的这些东西了？试试这个小测试吧：写下你最丢人的3次失败，和你最值得骄傲的3次成功。在每件失败与成功的后面写上你是如何一步一步做到的、还有你从中都学到了什么。然后总结归纳。这可不是后悔或骄傲的时候，这个小测试的目的不是评价你的经历是好或坏，而是让你明白如何仔细研习每一段人生经历，怎样将它们变成养分去丰富你的智慧。
They read the news.
聪明人读报知新闻
You cannot make balanced choices unless you understand world circumstances and the experiences of others. If you don’t already read a daily paper or news online, start by going through a single front-page article from a major respected news source, such as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, or Washington Post, from start to finish, every day. Don’t just scan or skip around it; read every word. Eventually, try to get through the main articles of a full newspaper every day.
要想做出明智之选，必须对大的国际形势和他人的经历都有一个完整的了解。要是你到目前为止既不读报纸也不浏览网上新闻的话，那么你就得开始养成读报的习惯了。选一份消息来源可靠的主流报纸，像《纽约时报》，《华尔街日报》或是《华盛顿邮报》等，然后将该报的头版从头到尾通读一遍。只读头版的大标题，或是匆匆扫过它周围的字根本没用，一定要字句咀嚼。最后，再一点一点给自己加量，直到每天能读完报纸上的主要文章为止。
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