Let's say one of your life goals was to be wise, how would you do that? Would you climb to a mountain top and sit at the feet of a guru; someone who didn't bath, and spent all day contemplating their navel? That doesn't sound very wise. Would you read all the works of the great philosophers; people who were often in debt, and whose family lives were in turmoil? That seems even more unwise. Popular culture, with its allure of tenuous fads & status, isn't wise at all. Of course, anything that leads to frustration, depression & mental illness should be immediately abandoned as anti-wisdom.

Imagine all of the possible experiences in life as a pie, and every slice is a bit of wisdom, the whole pie makes a wise man. You would want a slice of medical knowledge & experience, and to know the law; you would want to have been an entrepreneur and a scientist. But the pie of life is much more than technical knowledge & intelligence; there's the creativity slices like art, sports & philosophy. Also, traveling to meet new people and cultures. And let's not forget the crust: the everyday aspects of family, fame, civil contribution, leadership ability, a good personality, wealth & a satisfying career. Wisdom just isn't that hard to measure in slices; you'd think more people would like pie?