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About This Quiz
People often use the words “smart†and “wise†interchangeably, though they hold widely different meanings. The word smart refers to a person’s capacity for “intelligence†or the “ability to acquire and apply knowledge.†This capacity has to do with the way a person’s mind can hold on to information and use it to compute, work out problems rationally and apply the answers effectively. Wise, on the other hand, has more to do with the way a person makes sound judgments that come from a wealth of experience. Wisdom doesn’t come just by having a lot of experience, though, it grows by profoundly reflecting on your experience and listening to the experience of others.Â
An example of a smart person who doesn’t have much wisdom would be a physicist who can describe to you how gravity affects planetary motion but does not know what to do when they fall in love. On the other hand, a person you would you go to for wise counsel when you are at a crossroads in your life and trying to find the right path, may not be the right person to explain to you why the Roman Empire fell.Â
Are smart and wise people just two different types, or do they overlap? Wisdom and smarts are both qualities that can be learned over a lifetime, though they may require more work for some personalities than others. Usually, no matter which camp you fall in, you can grow by learning about the other side of knowledge. Open your mind with these questions!Â
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In a history class on the developments that led up to World War II, what would you focus on?
Memorizing the dates
Imagining what it would be like to live through that
Understanding the foreign policy decisions
Considering what role psychology played
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If you were studying the way a flower absorbs energy in botany, what direction would your mind be pointing?
Knowing the names of the plant parts
Considering how it’s a metaphor for life
Thinking about the physics of capillary action
Recalling a poem about a flower
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If your romantic partner suddenly left you for someone else, what would you draw on to help you get through the breakup?
I’d get a book about break ups.
I’d remember a literary work with a heartbroken character.
I’d busy myself with reading the news.
I’d ask my grandmother, who always understands.
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When a child asks you, “Why is the sky blue?†how do you respond?
I explain the way that color is refracted through the air.
I try to figure out why they are asking the question.
I give them a pat answer because they wouldn’t understand the real one.
I talk with them about what the color blue makes them think of.
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What type of person do you immediately want to spend more time with after meeting them for the first time?
Someone who has a head full of historical knowledge
Someone who surprises me with their opinions
Someone who can give me a scientific explanation about something I encounter daily
Someone who looks like they’re taking it all in
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Which of the following subjects are the most important for college students to learn?
Chemistry
Literature
Calculus
Philosophy
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If you are reading Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,†what are you concerned about?
How could someone act so irrationally?
How can these lovers survive this tragic situation?
How does the meter affect the sound of the language?
How would I respond in this situation?
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What factors do you consider first when planning a vacation?
What are the top places on my bucket list?
What kind of break is my soul needing?
Where can I get the most with the least amount of money?
What kind of experience do I want to have?
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While taking a walk with your closest friend, what would you spend the most time talking about?
The latest politics
A personal dilemma
Debating moments in sports events
The meaning of a novel
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If you were touring a cave’s dramatic formations, where would your mind be?
Pondering the geological systems
Imagining sitting in the silent darkness
Wondering how they discovered it
Imagining what it would be like to discover it
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When you learn something new, what do you want to do with the information?
Tell someone else about it
Think about how it relates to other things I know
Use it to solve a problem
Consider the implications
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Which of the following experiences would leave you with the most satisfaction?
Successfully solving a difficult math problem
Inspiring a friend to continue in a difficult job
Being given a difficult problem at work
Finding connections between vastly different ideas
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When you are working through an issue in your family, how do you usually process?
By talking about it with a friend
By asking good friends questions
By reading books about family problems
By writing about it
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If you gave someone advice and later realized you were wrong, what would you do?
Figure out how I was close to being right
Apologize to the person and explain my error
Explain to the person why it made sense for me to think that way
Try to understand why I came to the wrong view
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When you are in a job interview, how do you describe what skills you’d bring to the company?
I describe my knowledge in the field.
I talk about my critical thinking skills.
I relate my ability to use new technology.
I narrate how I draw on experience to problem solve.
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When a friend comes to you with a relationship problem, how do you come up with solutions?
I think about what someone else told me when I was having a problem.
I listen deeply to what they’re going through.
I try to think of the most rational way to solve their problem.
I try to imagine what they are feeling.
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Which type of problem would you rather deal with on a weekend?
A broken faucet in the kitchen
Revising an essay
An electrical issue on my car
Talking through a job change with a friend
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In a conversation with coworkers about strategies at work, how do you typically participate?
I take the lead sharing ideas.
I listen most of the time and add a comment at the end.
I interrupt if I have something important to say.
I only speak up if someone asks me.
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If you read something in a book that goes against your own experience, how might you react?
I’ll change my mind if the sources are valid.
I’ll rely on my own experience.
I’ll look in another book.
I’ll consider how the book may apply to what I know more deeply.
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Which of the following represents a more important form of knowledge?
Knowing the dates of all the important battles in World War I
Understanding why certain events led to war
Knowing the names and uses of chemical weapons
Understanding the psychological effects of chemical warfare
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When you look at a mosaic tile arrangement, what do you think about?
How the tiles are arranged in patterns
How the color arrangement makes me feel
Why the creator chose these patterns
How the mosaic would be different if different colors were used
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For which of these problems are your friends most likely to come to you for help?
How to craft a compelling presentation
How to talk to their dad
A mechanical issue on their car
Whether to stay in their marriage
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How smart are you compared to other people you know?
I’m smarter than most people I know.
I know many people smarter than me.
I know a few people smarter than me.
I’m not a very smart person.
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When you are preparing a feast for your closest friends, what is foremost on your mind?
Finding the perfect recipes
Creating a perfect environment
Figuring out the timing
Wondering how people will interact with each other
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If you are wondering what your true calling is in life, what source would you turn to for counsel?
A quiz online
A spiritual leader
A list of most lucrative careers
A close friend
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If you find yourself in a heated political debate, what tactic do you take?
I come up with the most logical argument for my position.
I listen to understand where the other side is really coming from.
I try to dismantle my opponent’s position.
I state my case in a way the other side may understand.
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Which of the following would teach you the most about horses?
Studying horse behavior with a biologist
Riding a horse
Watching an in-depth documentary about horses
Spending a day with a horse
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When you come to the end of your life, what will you hope to have in your mind?
A storehouse of knowledge about all things under the sun
A deep understanding of the range of human experience
An understanding of how everything in the world works
A map of the human heart
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When you approach a painting in a museum, what question do you ask?
Who is the artist?
What am I feeling?
What is the historical context?
How does it create this feeling?
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What should children learn first?
The alphabet
Empathy
Colors
Balance
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