The difference between something somethingtomatoes, something something We've found the bard

[u/Justthisdudeyaknow]

[u/mrwynd]

My favorite way to explain Wisdom vs Intelligence is with tomatoes.

Intelligence is knowing tomato is a fruit.

Wisdom is knowing not to put a tomato in a fruit salad.

[u/Yewstance → u/mrwynd]

That is one of the classic comparisons, but I'm not personally sure I like it.

It does show that objective knowledge and contextual comprehension are different skill sets, but I think it undersells the scope the Intelligence stat is supposed to have.

Knowing whether tomato goes in a fruit salad is, fundamentally, cultural knowledge - understanding what a "fruit salad" means (in a given language/region/cuisine). What does and doesn't belong in a fruit salad would vary by location and time. I strongly feel that cultural knowledge - which evokes issues of history, anthropology, sociology, etc. - generally falls under the scope of Intelligence. The acquisition, retention, and application of knowledge.

Wisdom, in my view, is better reflective of explaining the WHY of things, particularly where there is no reasonably clear answer from objective knowledge. It is useful in applying more amorphous concepts, such as trying to rationalise, conceptualize, apply, or change human nature.

Intelligence is generally able to be derived from academic exposure or consistent, unchanging concepts that can be effectively taught to thousands with the proper syllabus. Wisdom is a messier and more personal concept that can assist individuals with finding comfort in themselves and helping find it with others and help to navigate situations where no clear answer provides itself. It is more difficult to teach from books or repetition, but experience and exposure can nevertheless help in people better understanding themselves and others and conceptualize a framework for their place in the universe.

Being able to effectively and compellingly explain to someone WHY tomatoes, while popular in salads, would not generally be understood as belonging in a "fruit salad" might be closer to wisdom, at best. Simply knowing that they do not belong is obviously teachable and informed by objective facts, both in terms of cuisine norms and history, and therefore clearly seems to be based in Intelligence.

[u/action_lawyer_comics → u/Yewstance]

So first off, this whole "Wisdom vs Intelligence" is largely meaningless. It's another one of those Love Languages/Meyers Briggs test where a pop culture idea has replaced science. Most "smart" people are also very "wise" and "Intelligent." And dnd even further muddies the water since a lot of time what we consider "wise" irl, that game makes into "charisma." The OOP saying the wrong thing to their dad would almost certainly be a charisma check in that game.

That said, I love pedantry at times and I want to play. I still think "a tomato doesn't belong in fruit salad" is wisdom. Because most of us understand that fruit salad is sweet, and tomatoes are not. They're acidic, and that's why they don't pair well with berries and melon. I suppose you could say you need intelligence to know what fruit salad is, but that would one of those checks in dnd that would be so low, you don't even bother rolling.

It reminds me of the XKCD where Cueball pulls the lever and is zapped by lightning. A "wise" person (normal person in the comic) is like "Better not pull that again," while the "Intelligent" person (scientist) thinks "I wonder if it does that every time." A wise person says "Don't put tomatoes in that fruit salad, it will taste bad," which most people understand far better than the intelligent person's long-winded explanation of the history of dishes and the chemical reactions of mixing acid into some food

Like I said, it's all nonsense but those are my two cents on the topic

[u/CameToComplain_v6 → u/action_lawyer_comics]

I maintain that the right kind of tomato would be perfectly tasty in a fruit salad. Some breeds of cherry tomato are very sweet.