Positive Psychology

Compton & Hoffman (2018) recommend identifying your heroes. Who inspires you to be a better person and embodies the kinds of qualities you would like to develop?

Identify someone whose wisdom has inspired you. This can be someone in your personal life, such as a relative or mentor, or they may be a famous person whom you have never met. Think about how this person’s wisdom has influenced how you live your life.

  1. Include what you learned from the assigned reading and relate it to the reasons you find this person wise.
  2. Sharing some of this person’s words and actions, explain in detail why you feel he or she is wise.
  3. What are some of the qualities of this person that you would like to (further) develop?
  4. Interview someone (it may be the same person) over 60 whom you feel is wise. Ask them the following questions:
    1. In your view, what is wisdom and how do people acquire it?
    2. Is wisdom the same thing as intelligence? Are intelligent people necessarily wise?
    3. Do people usually become wiser as they get older? Why or why not?
    4. What words of wisdom or advice would you give to someone in their twenties or thirties?

Write your interview in a question and answer format. Include your interview at the end of your essay.

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