Us humans, also referred to as ‘homo sapiens’ which in Latin translates to ‘wise man’, have wisdom as our literal defining quality. Yet wisdom is something that is hard to define. If I were to put wisdom in simple words it would be, ‘Wisdom is a combination of all forms of knowledge and understanding that we learn through experience’.

The titular quote put forth by Charles Dickens represents a beautiful state of confusion that one often encounters in their lives where there is a toss-up to choose whether you follow what your heart desires or go with the decision taken by your head. Now, one might think that the head and heart are mere organs of our body, but figuratively the head and the heart make up the essence of one’s self. The head or our brain is often credited for its logical thinking and the heart is acclaimed for its emotional intelligence;

Man is an emotional creature. Human society has been prolifically established because of the emotional relationships and connections that we have been making for centuries. But the heart is often underestimated with statements like “Dil to bachcha hai ji, thoda kaccha hai ji” and “The heart wants what it wants” in popular media. However, our heart is considered a symbol of love, care, comfort as well as our source of intuition. Feelings and emotions form the grounds of all human relationships. In desperate times, although irrational faith and hope, help many to gain confidence to push through tough situations. Successful people credit their inner voice which provided them with the courage to follow their dreams. Empathy comes from our heart which forms the foundation of humanity.

Obviously, throwing caution to the wind and letting emotions take the wheel may not be advisable. Man’s faith and belief coming from the heart have historically been the main reason for many wars. 17th-century mathematician, Blaise Pascal rightfully said, “The heart has reasons, which reason does not know”. Many-a-times, blinded by emotions, we fall prey and trust the wrong people and end up in bad situations with harmful consequences. So, with all this, we can assume that we cannot trust our hearts completely. Now let’s consider our heads.

Our head seeks to make coherent sense of the world and tries to find practical ways through which we can navigate it. Right from complex mathematical concepts to sensitive corporate decisions, our brain is capable of grasping it all. Sentiments take a backseat and our head tries to piece together the world as it is. Whether during a surgery, biopsy, physical exam, during a simple blood draw, or even when administering a vaccine, Doctors have to routinely inflict pain upon their patients, so that they can help them get better in the longer run. However, if doctors were too focused and empathetic towards the patient's pain, it can render the doctors to be less effective. Correcting their kids when they are in the wrong, would become too difficult for parents and teachers if they constantly were blinded by their love for them.

Our brains in the constant attempt to make sense of everything, can get caught up in trivial things and nonsense and often loop into overthinking. It forces us to give thought and become upset over seemingly harmless remarks. People who constantly live inside their heads will I’m sure attest to the fact that it is not fun and is also a leading cause of mental health issues. Therefore, rely too much on your head, you just aren’t quite living enough. Also, relying too much on your heart, you could be making impulsive decisions leading to undesirable circumstances. Here arises a dilemma, on who to trust and which one is better.

There is a story in the Bible where God asked King Solomon what he desires, to which Solomon’s reply was “Shower me with wisdom to my heart and head”. The cumulation of both the head and the heart, helps us understand the bigger picture. The head and heart serve as advisors to our body which is the King. I believe the blend of these two, is what truly makes us WISE.

“One day we will learn that the heart can never be totally right if the head is totally wrong. Only through the bringing together of head and heart-intelligence and goodness-shall man rise to a fulfillment of his true nature.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.