Collective Wisdom

What is “Collective Wisdom”?

Let me share my understanding of the expression:

  1. Imagine 2 groups of 10 people walking into a meeting to discuss an urgent and seriously challenging issue.

  2. Both groups are composed of learned, experienced and well respected individuals across a wide range of disciplines.

  3. Group ‘A’ acts normally … ergo … brings their ego with them into the meeting.

  4. Group ‘B’ somehow have the ability to park their ego at the door on the way into the meeting.

Some argue the outcome(s) of Group B reflect “Collective Wisdom”.

Wisdom per se is not conditioned upon ‘ego’ i.e. egoistic people.

The problem with a team of egoistic people is perhaps collective wisdom is hard to come by from these team but nevertheless possible because wisdom must ultimately be objective and practical.

Wisdom per se need to supported by real experiences, rational arguments, evidences and it can be tested and repeatable most of the time.
Note the simple wisdom of looking left-right-left before crossing a busy roads with cars to avoid being killed. It is very rational and probable and there are sufficient evidence to prove reckless crossing of a road has killed many people.

No, superiority is not an appropriate comparison.

‘Knowledge’ is limited to epistemology.

Whereas ‘wisdom’ must involve the practical application of knowledge with element of optimality.
wisdom = the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgement; the quality of being wise.

In some specific sense ‘wisdom’ may appear to be more effective than knowledge in certain circumstance, and vice versa. But in general, it is not wise to compare ‘knowledge’ with ‘wisdom’ and establish a conclusive view, the reason being because they both independently has great benefits to mankind.
A wrong comparison without taking into account contexts may promote a habituated bias for one over the other.

There are so many fields of knowledge that contribute to technology, medicines, etc. that do not involve wisdom.
The ability of Science and Medicine to cure diseases objectively is not particularly wisdom.
A child doing an experiment with oxygen and hydrogen to get water is not wisdom. This is testing and reproducing objective scientific knowledge.

Note,

The ability of Science and Medicine to cure diseases objectively is not particularly wisdom.

The advice to be nice to one’s neighbors, friends and others is wisdom.

Prismatic … a substantial point … eloquently illustrated … ergo … comparison is misleading.

How about this as a starting point?

Layers in a symbiotic relationship … akin to Teilhard’s geosphere … biosphere … and noosphere.

Instinct … Knowledge … Wisdom

Experience being the lightning rod that empowers the symbiotic relationship between/among the three layers.