Sunday, May 6, 2007
"And the winner is..."
...rather, the results are: My mother scored 3.5 on the The Wisdom Scorecard, the wisdom test mentioned in the immediately previous post. This places her in the category of "relatively moderate wisdom".
My initial intention had been to podcast her taking the test and what I expected would include an animated discussion, as well as print out the questions for her. Seems the author of the test, Dr. Monika Ardelt, is zealous enough of her copyright so that it is impossible to even copy/paste the questions as they appear. Any attempt to print within the pages or save the pages to one's hard drive and print them yield similar dismal results. Since I have a great respect for copyright, I decided it would be unfair to podcast my reading of the questions. I did, though, type out the questions and responses for my mother so that, as I read them aloud, she could follow along. I figured this would aid her in her deliberation and I think I was right. I was wrong about the possibility of discussion. My mother had no problem choosing answers and the little discussion in which we indulged was beside the point of the test.
I was surprised by her results, since I scored higher, at 4.3, than she. I consider my mother, for many reasons, much wiser than me. The results of the test haven't shaken my regard. Although my mother waffled almost not at all over her choice of answers, one aspect of her answering involved decidedly avoiding absolutes. For instance: Answers included five options, topped and bottomed by either "Strongly agree" and "Strongly Disagree" or "Definitely true of myself" and "Not true of myself". Mom consistently chose the less superlative answers. Throughout the entire 39 question test she chose only one "Strongly Disagree", no "Strongly agree"'s, three "Not true"'s and no "Definitely true"'s. I consider this wise. She's lived long enough and experienced enough so that she knows that human nature can turn on a dime, if the circumstances are right. I think she believes it's best not to set herself up for unmanageable surprises by assuming that she and her circumstances are never going to change. It shouldn't surprise anyone to know that my answers were littered with absolutes. Mom also chose a high number of "Neutral"'s and "About half-way true"'s, for, I'm sure, the same reason she avoided the absolutes. As well, as she mentioned once, it's possible that she's felt offensive or "less wise" toward someone in the past but can't, now, remember that she has. I did not counter that the test was probably designed to reflect present opinions, feelings and attitudes. I thought of doing this but figured this would sway her interpretation of the test. I was thinking that perhaps the test was designed to reflect, in some subterranean way, whether someone was deliberating over her present state or a panorama of all states through which she's lived. I think, now, I was wrong about this, but, well, whatever.
Because I was surprised by her results versus mine, I decided to take the test again, this time noting my answers. Although I knew, being one of those people who is good at taking tests, my brain had probably figured out what were the "wisest" answers, I was hoping I'd remember, as I trudged once again through the statements, what I'd previously answered and, as well, feel the same as I did the first time. No such luck. The second time through I scored 4.5. I suspect this means my brain had autonomically begun to figure out how to "beat" the test, if such a thing could be said about this test. My observation also informed me that, on some of the questions on which I think I previously avoided absolutes, this time I chose absolutes, "knowing" that these were more reflective of me. Chances are, they are simply more reflective of my brain deciding that "wisdom" is a desired quality, one which I cherish, this is a test of wisdom, my brain has been trained to a certain "test taking wisdom" that allows it to perform well on such challenges, obviously better as it repeats a particular test, and it intervened in my memory and my desire to duplicate my previous answers and results.
I remembered, after our excursion into this attempt to measure wisdom, that I'd written about wisdom and Ancients over at the essay section of this group of sites. The link will take you to the essay, if you're interested. I reread it to see if my ruminations have changed on this issue. They haven't. I continue to believe that Age and Experience no more confer wisdom than does any other condition of being human. I also remain unsure about what does confer wisdom.
In case you're wondering why I consider my mother wiser than me, despite the results of the test, here are some (further, considering that I've already posed others) reasons:
In considering the subject of wisdom I remember the following episode: When I was in my first year of college a friend of mine was pulled out to sea by an undertow and drowned. I can't remember exactly how many people dove in to save him, but at least one of those men died. My friend's body was never recovered. Were those who attempted to save him, especially the one or more who died, wise or foolish? What about other life circumstances? Was Van Gogh's life wise or foolish? Suppose Van Gogh's work had somehow never been discovered and/or lauded, as happens with the work of some dedicated, talented, accomplished artists? Wise or foolish life?
Maybe wisdom will never be amenable to being tested on paper...maybe it can only be recognized as we observe our own and others' pursuit of life, and, even then, maybe it can't be recognized as easily or definitively as we'd prefer.
Maybe Mom and I will discover that the magazine article comes to a similar conclusion...
...later.
My initial intention had been to podcast her taking the test and what I expected would include an animated discussion, as well as print out the questions for her. Seems the author of the test, Dr. Monika Ardelt, is zealous enough of her copyright so that it is impossible to even copy/paste the questions as they appear. Any attempt to print within the pages or save the pages to one's hard drive and print them yield similar dismal results. Since I have a great respect for copyright, I decided it would be unfair to podcast my reading of the questions. I did, though, type out the questions and responses for my mother so that, as I read them aloud, she could follow along. I figured this would aid her in her deliberation and I think I was right. I was wrong about the possibility of discussion. My mother had no problem choosing answers and the little discussion in which we indulged was beside the point of the test.
I was surprised by her results, since I scored higher, at 4.3, than she. I consider my mother, for many reasons, much wiser than me. The results of the test haven't shaken my regard. Although my mother waffled almost not at all over her choice of answers, one aspect of her answering involved decidedly avoiding absolutes. For instance: Answers included five options, topped and bottomed by either "Strongly agree" and "Strongly Disagree" or "Definitely true of myself" and "Not true of myself". Mom consistently chose the less superlative answers. Throughout the entire 39 question test she chose only one "Strongly Disagree", no "Strongly agree"'s, three "Not true"'s and no "Definitely true"'s. I consider this wise. She's lived long enough and experienced enough so that she knows that human nature can turn on a dime, if the circumstances are right. I think she believes it's best not to set herself up for unmanageable surprises by assuming that she and her circumstances are never going to change. It shouldn't surprise anyone to know that my answers were littered with absolutes. Mom also chose a high number of "Neutral"'s and "About half-way true"'s, for, I'm sure, the same reason she avoided the absolutes. As well, as she mentioned once, it's possible that she's felt offensive or "less wise" toward someone in the past but can't, now, remember that she has. I did not counter that the test was probably designed to reflect present opinions, feelings and attitudes. I thought of doing this but figured this would sway her interpretation of the test. I was thinking that perhaps the test was designed to reflect, in some subterranean way, whether someone was deliberating over her present state or a panorama of all states through which she's lived. I think, now, I was wrong about this, but, well, whatever.
Because I was surprised by her results versus mine, I decided to take the test again, this time noting my answers. Although I knew, being one of those people who is good at taking tests, my brain had probably figured out what were the "wisest" answers, I was hoping I'd remember, as I trudged once again through the statements, what I'd previously answered and, as well, feel the same as I did the first time. No such luck. The second time through I scored 4.5. I suspect this means my brain had autonomically begun to figure out how to "beat" the test, if such a thing could be said about this test. My observation also informed me that, on some of the questions on which I think I previously avoided absolutes, this time I chose absolutes, "knowing" that these were more reflective of me. Chances are, they are simply more reflective of my brain deciding that "wisdom" is a desired quality, one which I cherish, this is a test of wisdom, my brain has been trained to a certain "test taking wisdom" that allows it to perform well on such challenges, obviously better as it repeats a particular test, and it intervened in my memory and my desire to duplicate my previous answers and results.
I remembered, after our excursion into this attempt to measure wisdom, that I'd written about wisdom and Ancients over at the essay section of this group of sites. The link will take you to the essay, if you're interested. I reread it to see if my ruminations have changed on this issue. They haven't. I continue to believe that Age and Experience no more confer wisdom than does any other condition of being human. I also remain unsure about what does confer wisdom.
In case you're wondering why I consider my mother wiser than me, despite the results of the test, here are some (further, considering that I've already posed others) reasons:
- She does not allow my emotionality and confusion over various issues, sometimes and especially involving family, to affect her phlegmatic approach to these issues;
- She is less inclined than I to initially resist confusion if it occurs;
- She has an even stronger sense of herself than I do of myself, and, believe me, I have a very strong sense of myself;
- She is not apt to be thrown by anything; I can still be thrown by some things.
- I have lately learned that she is more forgiving than me, even though I think I'm more forgiving than most.
In considering the subject of wisdom I remember the following episode: When I was in my first year of college a friend of mine was pulled out to sea by an undertow and drowned. I can't remember exactly how many people dove in to save him, but at least one of those men died. My friend's body was never recovered. Were those who attempted to save him, especially the one or more who died, wise or foolish? What about other life circumstances? Was Van Gogh's life wise or foolish? Suppose Van Gogh's work had somehow never been discovered and/or lauded, as happens with the work of some dedicated, talented, accomplished artists? Wise or foolish life?
Maybe wisdom will never be amenable to being tested on paper...maybe it can only be recognized as we observe our own and others' pursuit of life, and, even then, maybe it can't be recognized as easily or definitively as we'd prefer.
Maybe Mom and I will discover that the magazine article comes to a similar conclusion...
...later.
