The Wisdom of Solomonic Wisdom

The principle of Solomonic Wisdom has been with us for more than 2000 years. It has guided many leaders, teachers, speakers, preachers, and even parents and young people alike. It's one principle that has found its way in many dimensions of human history, from politics, warfare, literature, media, management schools or even in ordinary coffee table discussions..

This principle originated from the passage of the Bible where King Solomon adjudicated the opposing claims of two women, the true mother and an impostor, over one newly born child. Determined to get to the truth, King Solomon ruled to kill the child and divide it in two halves so that each woman can have a piece of her son. As the story goes, the true mother conceded her claim so that the child may live, while the impostor agreed to the King's ruling. In the end, the King awarded the child custody in the mother's favor.

It is quite an easy story to tell nowadays like a child bedtime story, but back then determining filiation, seeking the truth, and upholding justice in family cases were a big ordeal. Good thing for us we have modern technologies to guide our O.Bs, medical practitioners, legal advocates and our courts of law.

In our recent times, however, the principle has often been misquoted and taken out of context thus applied superficially, if not erroneously. To the modern layman, Solomonic Wisdom is simply seeking the middle path or half way point to forge a compromise agreement between two opposing parties.

See, there is a precious gem in Solomonic Wisdom worthy unravelling than any politician, military general or coflict management gurus would postulate in our modern times. This principle is simply not about seeking the middle path. Far from it, actually.

This writer wish to lay out the following deeper principles in the principle of Solomonic Wisdom.

1. Human nature -- People are governed by natural emotions of love, anger, deceit and security or insecurity then as it is now. Eventually, in the story love prevails over deceit.

2. Mother's Heart -- A true mother or parent would pursue the life or the best interest of the child, rather than her personal interest.

3. Loosing or Giving up in order to Gain -- A true mother would rather concede her claim of custody over her child than see her die by the sword.

4. Unpopular Decision -- The judge or arbiter's job is often difficult, but absent an established precedent, he has to make the right decisive action, nay even an unpopular decision. It is his judgment call.

5. Middle path is not always win-win. Contrary to the modern concepts, meeting halfway in forging compromise agreement is not always a good solution, especially that the parties in a negotiation table have misrepresentations. The arbiter has to go beyond what is offered on the table to arrive at the truth and make a correct judgment.

6. Compromise can be a means to end, not necessarily the end. A compromise agreement may be treated akin to a mediation proceeding which is only a path towards the right solution.

With these, I hope that in whatever difficult situations, conflicts and lofty statures that we have in our modern times, we will apply Solomonic Wisdom the right way.