This past weekend I had my medical school reunion for UCLA medical school. I spoke to many about my book and was asked often as to why I chose Wisdom. I chose it for three reasons:
- I enjoy challenges. Any “difficult situation” is an opportunity for growth and an opportunity to prove the nay sayers wrong.
- As a physician taught to diagnose and treat, I felt like thinking originally and out of the box was a trait not encouraged in my field. Any treatment method outside of Western Medicine was not considered legitimate. The mind-body connection was not valued. The importance of food was not recognized. I realized that Wisdom meant that you look at the bigger picture and you think unconventionally. This was an area I was not exposed to and wanted to explore.
- I need objectivity in everything I learn about. Wisdom has been talked about in religious texts, by famous people, and important manuscripts, yet there is no objective definition of defining it.
As a result, I used my research skills to learn about what was known about Wisdom and created The Wisdom Project where I interviewed 60 wise individuals throughout North America. A team of us then arrived at the top 8 elements of wise individuals. I discuss these elements in my book, Common Wisdom, which will be published in February 2024. As you will find in my book, these fascinating individuals would rather “be” then “do.