<p>This is the essay from the May 2013 Test. Score and be ruthless.</p>
<p>People use the term "wisdom" to mean many things. They describe someone as wise if the person is intelligent, well-informed, or capable of making good decisions. These descriptions, however are not really useful in distinguishing wise people from unwise ones. Happiness is a better measure of wisdom: a wise person is a happy person. Even the most intelligent people should not be called wise if they are not happy.</p>
<p>Assignment: Is it best to determine how wise people are by how happy they are?</p>
<p>Wisdom, in its true essence, is a quality which renders one capable of making good choices - good in the sense that they benefit the majority and uphold moral and ethical correctness. It is not always necessary for a wise person to be happy; rather, it might be this very wisdom that can sadden him. A wise person is often responsible for his society, and his duties as such can tamper with his happiness. Hence, a person's happiness is not an apt parameter for judging his acumen. </p>
<pre><code>The thesis that it is inappropriate to adjudge one's perspicacity from his happiness is substantiated be the character of Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series. In the popular best-selling books by J.K. Rowling, Albus Dumbledore is the Headmaster of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, regarded highly in the wizarding world for his shrewdness. And so, when the evil Lord Voldemort rises to threaten the peaceful existence of his community, the task of thwarting him in his attempts falls upon Dumbledore. The ensuing struggle injures him deeply, both emotionally and physically, but he continues, nevertheless, to secure justice of the people. It is his responsibilities, which arose due to his wisdom, that brought him displeasure and hence it can be concurred that there lies a fundamental paradox in determining one's wisdom from his happiness.
Another compelling evidence that testifies happiness to be an inept barometer of sagaciousness is the character of Forrest Gump in the 1994 Oscar winning movie of the same name. Forrest is a happy-go-luck person who often finds himself in events of historical significance such as the Watergate Scandal and the Vietnam War. However, being mentally challenged, he does not comprehend the grave implications of these situations and stays happy. It is his innocence and naïve approach to the world, not his wisdom which keeps him jovial and cheerful. Thus, in the case of Forrest Gump, it can be observed that happiness is not an accurate measure of wisdom.
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<p>To summarize, the examples of Albus Dumbledore and Forrest Gump reflect profoundly how happiness and wisdom exist exist in not a direct, but indirect correlation with each other and add to the age old adage 'ignorance is bliss'.</p>