This is probably going to be a controversial opinion here, given the propensity for viewpoints that are relative, but...

The wise ones live their lives based on principles.

I'm not necessarily talking about right and wrong or ethical systems, although those do play a part. What I am really talking about is principles about principles; meta-principles, if you will. The Law of Attraction is a Meta-Principle. Say what you like about the only rule being there are no rules, but I think most people here would agree that the Law of Attraction is just that, a Law.

So here are some principles to chew on; note that they may not be everyone's principles:

1. I will find the truth, in the best way that I know how.

2. I will live my life by that truth, as best I can.

3. There exists some absolute truth, towards which I can reach.

Now, absolute truth might be filtered through some perceptual lens, but it is there nevertheless. It is the same truth that Socrates spoke of when he talked about the world of ideas. It is the truth that, although I am not capable of drawing a perfect triange, I can still imagine one.

It is that quest for absolute truth (and not necessarily the notion that I create my own truth from whole cloth) that gets me up in the morning. If I cannot find that absolute truth, I measure my version of the truth against a pragmatic yardstick:

• Does the exercise of that truth serve me and those around me in the best possible way?

Of course, none of this implies that I am actually wise. :)

The wisdom comes from the level of consciouness that exist within the individual. This consciousness encompasses knowledge that goes beyond what exist in the physical world. Its knowing that we are a part of a Universal Consciousness. This is what distinguishes the wise from the knowledgeable.

I believe some souls have been here many times before; each time gaining in knowledge and wisdom.

Wisdom is applying what you have learned for "good". Wisdom is the search for truth. A wise person is able to guide and empower through the knowledge, experiences and reflections they've accumulated.

I agree with Stingray.

How about..

Wisdom = Experience -> Knowledge -> Understanding -> Discrimination

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisdom Furthermore, there is an oppositional element in Christian thought between secular wisdom and Godly wisdom. The apostle Paul states that worldly wisdom thinks the claims of Christ to be foolishness. However, to those who are being saved Christ represents the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1:17-31) Also, Wisdom is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit according to Anglican, Catholic, and Lutheran belief. 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 gives an alternate list of nine virtues, among which wisdom is one.

With the gift of wisdom, we see God at work in our lives and in the world. For the wise person, the wonders of nature, historical events, and the ups and downs of our lives take on deeper meaning. The matters of judgment about the truth, and being able to see the whole image of God. We see God as our Father and other people with dignity. Lastly being able to see God in everyone and everything everywhere.

Knowing says it all and being wise isn't saying a thing.

Since life revolves around values, you might say that wisdom in the broadest sense is the knowledge of how to add value to one's life. To put it another way, wisdom is a specific kind of knowledge. It is the knowing of cause and effect relationships. A wise person is a person that can predict the consequences of things based on his knowledge. This is particularly applicable in one area: the management of one's life. So you may develop engineering or financial wisdom, yet remain a fool in general. So there are different widths of wisdom as well as different depths of wisdom. You may know the table of elements or all the capitals, or for that matter, have the entire Bible memorized or be able to recite Bashar's lectures verbatim from memory, but if you don't know how to use that knowledge to add value to your life, it does not make you wise.

Knowledge can be learned and taught. Wisdom can be learned but can not be taught.

The source of Knowledge is from without. The source of Wisdom is from within.

I can learn from a book all different knowledge. This doesn't make me wise until I apply it, while applying I may find out the book didn't cover every problem. So now that I have applied it, I have learned how to do it. Until what I know is tested, I really don't "know" it as much as know what was taught to me about it.

So until I really "know" it, I do not have wisdom about it. I only have knowledge of it.