wisdom vs. information

Last week I started reading the book, Writing to Change the World by Mary Pipher.  In the introduction of the book, she very succinctly outlines several of the major issues of our time.  The first issue that really struck me is the problem of wisdom and information.

"We understand many facts about the world, but we cannot discern their meaning or their implications for action...  While we call our time the Age of Information, wisdom is in short supply." (p.3, emphasis added)

She points to how the average American can identify over 1,000 brand names, but can't identify 10 indigenous plants or animals.  With all the knowledge we have, we're more depressed and stressed than ever as a species.  It's as if knowledge is overloading us.  It's complicating our lives and distracting us from the simpler matters of life.

Webster defines wisdom as "knowledge, and the capacity to make due use of it; knowledge of the best ends and of the best means."  It is easy to gain knowledge.  It's everywhere-- the television, the internet, books, etc.  Anything we wish to know we can look up online at anytime.  On the other hand, wisdom has to be sought out.  It takes work and discernment.

This leads me to ask: Can you turn knowledge into wisdom?  How does one get wisdom?  How does one encourage others to attain it? 

"It requires wisdom to understand wisdom: the music is nothing if the audience is deaf." -Walt Lippmann