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  Wisdom and Mental Health

This blog post is exclusively for those who know what they want in life, but struggle to achieve their goals. That's because too often we're told that positive thinking will make everything in life work out - and that negativity is bad. Don't listen to this nonsense. Negative thoughts are a key component of our cognitive process, for both good and bad. Without them we would never know anything about the future - past experiences have taught us much more than positive thinking alone could ever teach us, so don't be afraid of being negative!

On top of this, negativity can give you wisdom - about yourself and others - as well as help you develop a solid mental foundation. This post will teach you how to accept that negative emotions are an essential aspect of your personality, and how to use them constructively in any part of your life.

What is wisdom?

At first, we must discuss what wisdom is - because the word itself has a multitude of definitions. On this blog we'll take a simple definition: wisdom is the ability to apply your knowledge effectively and appropriately in different situations. This is especially important when tackling difficult problems. Accordingly, wise people often have very little formal education or training - but they know how to deal with life's challenges well enough without these things.

It's hard to develop wisdom, though it's not impossible. We know that this ability is a crucial part of human development, manifested through many different skills and talents. Wisdom is like a muscle, and the more effort you put in to improving your intelligence the more you'll be able to apply it.

Over the course of our lives we all face difficult decisions - where it's difficult to know which choice will be most beneficial for us. A wise person knows this better than most - they're able to deal with different situations and constructively react when things don't go as planned. They also have a thicker skin, so they can withstand criticism without becoming broken from it.

The two faces of wisdom

Wisdom can be a useful thing. It does, however, have its negative sides. One of the most important things to remember is that it isn't appropriate to use wisdom with everyone all the time - this is because wisdom can sometimes damage your relationships with others, more so than use them. This is because we become wiser through experience, knowing what others would like in certain situations. Yet we also build up walls around ourselves - which makes it difficult for us to connect with people on an emotional level.

This is why wisdom is like a double-edged sword. If you're not careful, it's easy to hurt others when you apply it - and as such it's better not to use it with everyone at all times. In fact, you should be wise only when dealing with mature people who are on the same level as yourself. This doesn't just mean those who have a very similar education to you, or who are older than you; but also those who have more experience than yourself in certain areas of your life.

For example, your parents will be able to tell you things that only they can tell you - because they've been through similar things as yourself. Unfortunately, this will make you wiser and more capable when dealing with them - but it will also make it harder for you to connect with them. You should only use wisdom when there's something that only you can know.

Be wise about yourself

The types of things that are easily gained through experience are not the same as the types of things that simply need to be learned. You should only apply wisdom when it's necessary - otherwise use your other knowledge to achieve your own goals. Your feelings and emotions should remain a mystery to others - because this is the most valuable part of who you are. Instead, you should focus on what's important for you, and leave the other things to those who can understand them.

To be wise about yourself, it's important to take an honest look at yourself - and see which areas of your life are most important to you. Then apply wisdom only there - use everything else in order to develop on an emotional level. It's also better not to use this skill with everyone all the time - instead take some time to think deeply about what you want in life, and how you can achieve it. This will allow you to constructively deal with negative situations that your wisdom could ruin - but it will also help you understand what's truly valuable in life.

Always focus on the things which will really make you happy. If you do this, you'll find that most people are able to understand these things well enough. However, when you're dealing with people who are not on your level of knowledge or experience, it's best to remain mysterious and wise - because even though they may know a great deal about some areas of life, they don't necessarily know everything. It's better not to risk your relationships by challenging them in an area where they still hold more wisdom than yourself.

What about negative feelings?

As well as being a double-edged sword, wisdom has its negative sides too. We all have experience negative feelings - whether it's hunger, affection or even hatred. However, it's important not to let this feeling control you completely - but instead make the most of them when they come.

It's possible to use them as a gauge of yourself - for example, if you're constantly eating chocolate you should be aware that you're not satisfied with your current life - because that would make sense if the amount of chocolate you eat out of enjoyment were high enough. It doesn't mean that the amount is low though - just that it may be overkill for someone with a slightly higher level of happiness than yourself.

Similarly, if you feel good about yourself and you're pleased with your life, it makes sense that you won't be experiencing negative feelings. However, it's possible that you could feel bad in certain situations - for example, if you feel like something may have gone wrong with your life. The solution here would be to use wisdom to take a step back and analyse the situation more clearly - because this may teach you more about what the problem is. This will allow you to think rationally and constructively deal with the problem - rather than becoming emotionally involved in it.

This doesn't mean that negative feelings are right or wrong though - all they do is give us a warning sign so we can change our actions correctly.

Conclusion

We all experience wisdom - whether it's in our own lives or in the lives of others. It's important to use this skill constructively - as well as not being too proud of it. You need to understand what your wisdom is for personal growth - and only apply it when necessary in order to achieve your own goals. Remember that even though wisdom has negative sides too, they don't mean that you're wrong. Instead, they're just a useful tool to help you change your life correctly so you can build better relationships.

About the author: Adam Johnson is a blogger from Melbourne who enjoys writing about personal development topics and psychology. He writes about finding more motivation through meditation and self-improvement tips which may benefit others.