Perspicacity

Common card · No. 484363

Perspicacity (also called perspicaciousness) is a penetrating discernment (from the Latin perspicācitās, meaning throughsightedness, discrimination)—a clarity of vision or intellect which provides a deep understanding and insight. It extends the concept of wisdom by denoting a keenness of sense and intelligence applied to insight. It has been described as a deeper level of internalization. Another definition refers to it as the "ability to recognize subtle differences between similar objects or ideas". The artist René Magritte illustrated the quality in his 1936 painting La Clairvoyance, which is sometimes referred to in the English speaking world as Perspicacity. The picture shows an artist at work who studies his subject intently: it is an egg. But the painting he is creating is not of an egg; it is an adult bird in flight. The word "perspicacity" also indicates practical wisdom in the areas of politics and finance. Being perspicacious about other people, rather than having false illusions...

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