The Price of Wisdom While most people believe knowledge and wisdom to be interchangeable, they are very different. Knowledge is the understanding gained through experience or study, while wisdom is the ability to use that information to suit ones' purpose. The more aware a person is, the more wise they are able to become. In Richard Wright's autobiography Black Boy, he demonstrates the impact of acquiring wisdom in a world that is unwise. As a …showed first 75 words of 1004 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1004 total…of being able to conform to the mold of the stereotypical black man. Frederick Douglas's master would have agreed. "As to himself (about literacy), it could do him no good, but a great deal of harm. It would make him discontented and unhappy" (Frederick 41). Malcolm X might not agree, but he was murdered precisely because of his wisdom. Basically, wisdom in an unwise world is dangerous for the holder, especially if he is not cautious.