Chip Conley

The title of today’s Wisdom Well blog comes from Albert Einstein, a clever and wise human. Would you prefer being clever or wise?

What do you value more? Competence or loyalty? Self-awareness or connections?

For those of you who know something about Dan Buettner’s “Blue Zones” (by the way, he’s teaching at MEA Baja next year…here’s the link), you know five places in the world hold the record for the greatest concentration of longevity amongst their residents. One of those places is the island of Sardinia off the coast of Italy.

Being the midlife psychology nerd I am, I seek out obscure books with a unique perspective on the topic.

Midlife is when time becomes more scarce than money. Money can return. Time can’t.

I love when men and women let their hair go gray, as chronicled by one of our MEA alums in this past post.

That’s the question I asked myself after being bowled over by MEA VP of Admissions Christa “Cricket” King’s enthusiasm for her newfound sport.

Integration or “to make whole” is a foundational part of wisdom. As we age, we realize that a compartmentalized life is a scattered life. We grow old, and we grow whole.

"American exceptionalism" is baked into our public schools, cultural institutions, and—definitely in an election year—the political jargon we hear from those running for office. But, sometimes, you have to look at the underlying data and demographics to understand whether this exceptionalism is positive or negative.

To develop more compassion for others, I have been inspired by this concept:“The other person is you.”