Let’s talk about . . . wisdom
We asked IRT retirement village residents in Southern NSW what makes a person wise and who is the wisest person they have known.
Here’s what they said . . .
Fay Peters, IRT St Georges Basin
“I think to be wise you need to be able to listen to people and take in all sides of things. Sometimes I watch the news and hear about the horrible things going on and I disagree with what’s happening but you still need to consider where they’re coming from. When talking to people one-on-one it’s really important to listen to both sides.”
Wilhelmina Herne, IRT Greenwell Gardens
“Kindness and tolerance to other people brings wisdom because you learn a lot more about a person when you trust them and talk gently to them. This is my philosophy. I also think a person becomes wise by experiencing a lot in life. The more experience you have in life, the wiser you get. You get more from life with honey than with vinegar. Don’t always be so direct to blame. Find out why they are like they are.”
Janet Hughes, IRT Greenwell Gardens
“Experience makes a person wise. Experience with people and experience with different situations. The wisest person I have known was my father. He was a quiet man who didn’t say a great deal, but when he spoke he said something that made an impression on you. One day he said to me ‘a man will supply the house, but it’s a woman’s job to make it a home’. This was during the days when men earned more money than women. I thought that was a very wise statement which I took to heart, and hope that I made a home for my family.”
Jan Kimber, IRT Culburra Beach
“There’s a few wise people that I know. I think Paul, my Minister, is a wise man. He’s very understanding. He has to listen to everybody, and he gets asked a lot of questions and gives a lot of answers. I think a lot of older men are very wise today. Fifty to 100 years ago, man was in his own domain. But they’ve learnt to listen more, to their wives and their family, and to share ideas with one another.”
Millie Mawby, IRT Sarah Claydon
“You need to learn to be wise. I think it’s very important to keep the brain active. While I’m not a Catholic, I imagine the Pope would be very wise, listening to people’s problems and presenting lots of solutions.”
Have a question that you would like our residents and customers to answer?
Email the editor at editor@irt.org.au
You may also like
Exercising and osteoarthritis: everything you need to know
Regular exercise is an important way to help manage osteoarthritis and to keep yourself fit.
A guide to healthy eating for older adults
Learn about how you can eat well as you get older and why it matters.