The neurocircuitry of wisdom

The discovery of the neurocircuitry of wisdom dates back to a pioneering study in 2009 by Dr. Dilip Jeste, an esteemed American geriatric neuropsychiatrist and Director of the Stein Institute for Research in Aging at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. This study shed light on how certain brain regions can influence emotional processing and responses, paving the way for a deeper understanding of wisdom.

Through fMRI scans during moral reasoning dilemmas, participants with higher wisdom scores showed increased activity in the Default Mode Network (DMN) of the brain. The DMN, typically associated with introspective activities like daydreaming, plays a crucial role in processing social and emotional cues essential for wise decision-making. This network orchestrates both pleasure and wellbeing states, indicating its significance in cognitive processes.

The DMN emerges as a pivotal hub for a distinct mode of thinking, offering an alternative to the conventional system 1 and system 2 thought processes. Following the work of Dr. Jeste and his team my research has identified six key components of this third system of wise thinking: focus, life experience, decisiveness, compassion, emotional regulation, tolerance for diversity of values.

This system 3 thinking framework provides a fresh perspective on cognitive mechanisms aligned with making informed and wise choices.