One school of early Buddhism listed six perfections: giving, virtue, patience, energy, jhāna (concentration), and wisdom. We’ve talked about the first five and today we’ll consider the last of these, paññā or wisdom.
Wisdom can be cultivated on its own, but more often it’s a result of refining our other wholesome qualities. The more generosity we practice, the clearer it becomes that this is a satisfying and beneficial way to live. The more we are inclined to acting virtuously rather than selfishly, the more obvious it becomes that this is preferable to any alternative, and the more we’re likely to continue in that direction. Likewise with patience and the application of mindful energy and practicing to develop inner calm. Our wisdom deepens all along this path, and our mindfulness and confidence will likely increase as a byproduct. This is the culmination of the path; all things come into focus more clearly – what we are doing, what the results of our actions will be, the value of mindfulness and discriminating wisdom.
https://www.dhammatalks.org/books/GoodHeart/Section0005.html
… in actual practice, we’ll also find that, as we develop the other perfections, our discernment (wisdom) develops further as well. In other words, the perfections develop reciprocally. They help one another along. Discernment gives guidance to the other perfections, at the same time that the act of developing the other perfections helps to make our discernment more penetrating and precise. (Thanissaro Bhikkhu)
Perhaps it would help to identify examples of what wisdom looks and feels like. Nelson Mandela embodied both dignity and wisdom; the Dalai Lama always speaks and acts in a way designed to bring about understanding and healing. The historical Buddha is an example of the potential we all carry for full awakening. We can take them and others as our models.
Sometimes wisdom is defined as an experientially-based (not intellectual) understanding of dukkha, its origin, its release, and the path to release (also known as the Buddha’s four truths); or it’s defined as an experientially-based knowledge of the process of dependent arising. But these are just words until we live in a way that reflects our understanding. Our actions of body, speech, and mind have consequences, good and bad, for ourselves and others. When we know this for sure, we can claim to be (at least a little bit) wise.
The Buddha's Advice to Laypeople 
What a beautifully articulated exploration of wisdom, the culmination of the path in Buddhism. Your insight into how wisdom is cultivated through the refinement of other wholesome qualities resonates deeply. It’s a reminder that wisdom isn’t just an intellectual understanding but is lived and embodied through our actions. Your examples of individuals like Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama exemplify how wisdom manifests in dignity, understanding, and healing. Thank you for this thought-provoking reflection on the journey towards wisdom.
Antique Buddhas