In recent years, many societies have lost reverence for the old. The reason wisdom, certainly in comparison with knowledge, is often undervalued or not valued at all. And one reason for that is knowledge is far more valued due to extraordinary advances in technology, medicine, and science. Likewise, intelligence is far more valued than wisdom—think of how many parents want their children to be “brilliant” versus how many parent want their children to be wise (in truth, few parents even think in terms of wise, a term that cannot be measured on tests). The loss to society has been immeasurable. Societies need wisdom far more than knowledge; indeed, knowledge without wisdom is likely to lead to catastrophe. Think how societies like Nazi Germany, the USSR, North Korea, and the Iranian mullahs misused both their intelligence and their knowledge.
Dennis Prager, The Rational Bible, Exodus: God, Slavery, and Freedom, pg. 46
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