Becoming Wise: A Psycho-Gerontological Interpretation of the Book of Job

Abstract

The Book of Job, a prototypical "wisdom" text from the fifth or sixth century B.C.E., powerfully articulates a good man's struggle to understand unexpected misfortune. In coming to terms with his suffering and gaining understanding of his place in the universe, Job demonstrates the complex, dynamic yet integrative nature of growing wise. Drawing on our synthetic model of wisdom, we claim wisdom occurs in personality, cognition, and conation that transforms intrapersonal, interpersonal, and transpersonal experience. We discuss gender-specific obstacles that Job overcomes in attaining wisdom by analyzing modern interpretations of the text, which underscore its perdurance in a post-modern age.

Intellectual Versus Wisdom-Related Knowledge: The Case for a Different Kind of Learning in the Later Years of Life

“…A necessary prerequisite for this task is an openness to and an acknowledgement of all kinds of external and internal experiences which can be achieved through self-re ection, self-awareness, determination, and constancy (Achenbaum & Orwoll, 1991;Csikszentmihalyi & Rathunde, 1990;Gadamer, 1960;Hanna & Ottens, 1995;Jarvis, 1992;Kekes, 1983;Kramer, 1990;Moody, 1986;Taranto, 1989). Openness to experience is an important prerequisite for the perception of reality.…”

“…A person, however, rst needs to develop a certain degree of equanimity to be able to remain open to all kinds of experiences, including the experience of negativity, irregularity, unpredictability, contradictions, and ambiguity (Achenbaum & Orwoll, 1991;Blanchard-Fields & Norris, 1995;Hanna & Ottens, 1995). Methods to obtain a balanced mind may vary, depending on the spiritual preferences of an individual, and include such practices as prayer, meditation, stress-reduction techniques, and so forth.…”

“…Whereas wisdom-related knowledge cannot be taught directly but can only be obtained through personal involvement and a willingness to be transformed in the process (Achenbaum & Orwoll, 1991;Assmann, 1994;Hanna & Ottens, 1995;Jarvis, 1992;Moody, 1986), intellectual knowledge can be gained through more detached procedures, such as studying books, listening to lectures, conducting experiments, or objective observations (Csikszentmihalyi & Rathunde, 1990;Kekes, 1983;Taranto, 1989). Rather than developing equanimity for all kinds of experiences, a main method for the acquisition of intellectual knowledge is the manipulation and control of phenomena and events.…”

“…To know that one does not know, on the other hand, is likely to diminish one's self-centeredness and make one more humble (Csikszentmihalyi & Rathunde, 1990). Re ective thinking, the transcendence of one's negativities and projections, and a reduced self-centeredness, in turn, tend to increase a person's empathy, sympathy, and compassion for others (Achenbaum & Orwoll, 1991;Holliday & Chandler, 1986;Kramer, 1990;Orwoll & Achenbaum, 1993). As a result, wise people are more concerned about collective and universal issues than about their individual well-being (Clayton, 1982;Sternberg, 1990b).…”

Solving the conundrum of Job: a probable biblical description of chronic renal failure with neurological symptoms

“…The Book of Job had been of interest for many physicians from different parts of the world, especially from areas of Psychiatry, Psychoanalysis [11][12][13][14] , medical philosophy, and ethics 15,16 .…”