加拿大研究人员称，整日忧心忡忡的人不如那些天性乐观的人聪明，因为他们无法从让他们感到痛苦的事情上汲取经验。

　　Dolores Pushkar, a professor at Concordia University in Montreal, says wisdom and intelligence aren't the same thing and she estimates only 5 percent of the population can be described as truly wise.

　　加拿大蒙特利尔市康哥迪亚大学的教授德洛丽丝·浦西卡尔称智慧和智商是两码事。据她估计，全世界仅有5%的人称得上具有真正的智慧。

　　Pushkar and co-authors Andrew Burr, Sarah Etezadi, Tracy Lyster and Sheila Mason say no single definition of wisdom exists, but many agree it involves knowledge, understanding human nature, life contentment, empathy and the flexibility to see issues from others' perspectives.

　　浦西卡尔教授和她的同事安德鲁·波尔，莎拉·艾特扎迪，特蕾西·李斯特尔，希拉·梅森认为真正的智慧无法用单一的概念表述， 它不单指拥有知识，还必须包括具备洞悉人性，知足达观，悲天悯人和换位思考的能力。

　　“Wisdom has an impact on how people cope in situations and whether they are more or less satisfied with life,” Etezadi says.

　　艾特扎迪称智慧决定了一个人决断问题的方式，也影响着一个人对生活的态度。

The researchers say overwhelming and prolonged stress are injustices that can prevent people from garnering wisdom.

　　研究人员表示一个长时间处于压力之下的人很难获得智慧。

　　Pushkar says wise people often highlight common sense -- but what makes them different than most is how they follow their own advice.

　　浦西卡尔教授称智慧的人很注重常识，但真正使他们与众不同的地方在于他们对于问题有自己的理解和判断。

　　“We found that people who are wiser maintain a sense of happiness,” Etezadi says: “They are high on wisdom, which has a buffering effect.”

　　“通过调查我们发现拥有智慧的人都能保持一个健康乐观的心态，这种心态非常重要，它能起到纾解压力的作用”，艾特扎迪说。