Dr. Laura Gabayan Releases “Common Wisdom”

Dr. Laura Gabayan is sunlight in a dark room. I welcome a clinical, left-brain perspective on something as intangible, yet undeniable as wisdom. It’s interesting when you see an amalgam of traits you wouldn’t normally associate outside the gray stuff tackle a semi-apocryphal subject in medical terms, coming away with actual, tangible recordings and statistics. In her pursuit of the clinical traits of wisdom, Dr. Gabayan is able to come away with several key ideological focal points: Resilience, Kindness, Positivity, Spirituality, Humility, Tolerance, Creativity, and Curiosity. Varied subjects Dr. Gabayan studied possessed at least two of these traits, resulting in the solidification of the pursuits of her new thinktank, The Wisdom Research Project. “…what is wisdom…can it be scientifically defined…Using the six steps of the scientific method, we determined that we could define wisdom scientifically.

Even though our sample size was sixty people, we feel confident that had the sample size been 600, we still would have ended up with the same eight elements in defining wisdom,” she writes. “Now, to the first question: What is wisdom? Hopefully, after reading this book, you are closer to defining what wisdom is for yourself. There are elements that may be your strengths and some that may need more work. The entire purpose of becoming wise must be specific to you. These eight elements and the variety of sub-elements we’ve discussed will help you find balance in your life. Incorporating them will enrich your life in ways you might not even have imagined. They will give your life more meaning and a greater purpose.

Whether we realize it or not, that is what we all want in life: to be happier and have more balance, meaning, and purpose. We get there by embodying these eight elements with sincerity and honesty.” It’s only fitting such sentiments line the pages of a book called Common Wisdom: 8 Scientific Elements of a Meaningful Life.

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Common-Wisdom-Scientific-Elements-Meaningful/dp/1956470999

Dr. Gabayan writes in this matter-of-fact, respectful but sophisticated prose. The book has this quality reading experience that makes the reader feel empowered. Gabayan also trusts the reader’s innate intelligence, never dumbing anything down or trying to make things overly palatable for the uninitiated. The result is something that feels completely authentic, while being overly informative in terms of covering every part of its subject matter from A to Z. This can be a tricky balance for a writer. Sometimes packing in facts can come at the expense of the narrative. But Dr. Gabayan finds a good balance, and is able to make the read appealing not just in a contrarian, intellectual sense, but an emotional one to boot.

“Hopefully, (my) book has given you food for thought on identifying ways to improve your understanding and abilities relating to these eight elements. We have defined the elements, shown you ways to consider each of them via the questions at the end of each chapter, and given you a start on understanding their interconnectedness,” she writes. “Your search for wisdom is just the beginning of a journey to a better life. Incorporating these elements will take time and patience. Be persistent and don’t give up. Believe in yourself. Know that the reward is worth the struggle. More meaning and depth await you.”

Nicole Killian