Presented March 2, 2025
by Dr. Jim Lyttle
While it’s difficult to define wisdom, we notice unwise things we have done. What are the main qualities of people who are thought to be wise? Does wisdom come with age, correlate with intelligence, a great sense of humor, or being a kind person? Along with millennia of religious and philosophical speculation, we now have a body of research findings from academic psychologists. After laying out a few tested elements of wisdom, we will apply them to our own ideas of freethought and religious skepticism. Are we being wise?
Jim Lyttle is a long-time member of Lake Superior Freethinkers and served as announcer, secretary, chair, webmaster, and videographer. He lives in Duluth with his wife Jing and daughter Heather, an honors student at the Marshall School. Dr. Lyttle is a Canadian who traveled with his showband during the 1970s. He has degrees in philosophy, organizational behavior, and education, is a life member of Mensa, and is a retired university professor. Nonetheless, as a diagnosed ADHD sufferer, he has always struggled with wisdom.
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