Document Type : Original Article
Highlights
Extended Abstract
Background: Contemporary research emphasizes that intelligence alone is insufficient to address the multifaceted and complex challenges of modern life (Sternberg & Speckolations, 2018). Wisdom, a concept with profound historical, cultural, and philosophical roots, has been regarded across civilizations and eras as one of the highest human virtues (Walsh & Reim, 2015). Early psychological literature conceptualized wisdom as the ideal endpoint of human development (Staudinger & Glück, 2011), while Islamic perspectives highlight reflection, ethical discernment, and reasoning as essential for human flourishing (Aghaei Abrandabadi et al., 1402). Despite observable generational increases in intelligence quotient (IQ), contemporary societies do not necessarily demonstrate enhanced wisdom, ethical judgment, or psychological well-being, suggesting that cognitive skills alone are insufficient for holistic human development (Ghorbani & Yousefi, 1397; 1395). This discrepancy raises critical questions about the factors and mechanisms that foster wisdom in contemporary contexts.
Objective: The present study aimed to investigate and model the factors influencing the cultivation of wisdom using a Fuzzy Cognitive Map (FCM) approach. Specifically, it sought to identify both direct and indirect causal relationships among psychological, ethical, and experiential variables that contribute to the development of wisdom, and to elucidate the reinforcing and inhibitory pathways that affect its growth.
Method: A FCM methodology was employed to capture the causal structure among multiple variables affecting wisdom. Experts in relevant domains identified key factors and determined the directional strength of relationships between them. The FCM allowed for visualization of central nodes, feedback loops, and reinforcing or inhibitory pathways. The model incorporated both quantitative (in-degree, out-degree, and causal weights) and qualitative assessments to provide a comprehensive mapping of the wisdom network. Positive weights indicated reinforcing relationships, whereas negative weights represented inhibitory or constraining effects. This approach facilitated the identification of variables with the greatest influence on wisdom and the pathways through which indirect effects operate.
Findings: Analysis of the FCM revealed wisdom as the central node (in-degree = 2.13), under the influence of multiple interacting variables. Thinking (out-degree = 2.7) emerged as the most influential factor impacting other constructs. Positive and reinforcing relationships were observed between wisdom and variables including piety and self-purification, reflective thinking, inquiry and exploration, critical thinking, knowledge acquisition, and experiential learning. In contrast, fear of death, death avoidance, and negative affect displayed inhibitory relationships with wisdom. Several variables exerted indirect effects on wisdom through mediating pathways: reflective thinking enhanced inquiry and exploration, which in turn strengthened wisdom; critical thinking combined with inquiry and exploration contributed further positive effects. Spiritual intelligence influenced wisdom indirectly through its positive impact on psychological well-being, and age contributed positively via the enhancement of experiential learning. These results indicate that wisdom emerges from a network of interdependent cognitive, ethical, and experiential factors, with both direct and mediated pathways contributing to its development.
Conclusion: The present study underscores the multidimensional nature of wisdom as a construct shaped by interrelated cognitive, ethical, and experiential variables. The findings highlight the centrality of reflective and critical thinking, inquiry, moral cultivation, and experiential engagement in fostering wisdom. The FCM approach provides a robust framework for mapping these complex interactions and identifying key leverage points for intervention. Practical implications include the potential for educational, ethical, and spiritual programs to target these influential factors, promoting wisdom as a higher-order cognitive and moral competency essential for human flourishing.
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