“Observation, and not old age, brings wisdom.”

preconceived prejudices and or selected supporting information will often as not skew an observation

I have learned as an old man this very quote.

Yes and no. Wisdom is acquired not by observation alone -- as Mike has said, what we observe still is processed by our prejudices and conditioning. Then again, "a stupid indian is a dead indian" so surviving to an old age does indicate a little wisdom... ;-)

Yes, but without observation there is no learning, no love, no peace - the quote is Life, not that which has gone or to be.

You can be old and not observed but the young have had little time to observe. Most can not observe because of the inability to remove preconceived notions and prejudice from the equation. It takes maturity to start to sort it all out. Wisdom is very seldom found in the young.

If that is the case, there is a weighty surplus of B-Boomers in the West. Adam, Battery Point

Observation does not necessarily mean wisdom will be the result gained. Truth (self evident) and truth discerned from all knowledge is the best way to gain wisdom and there is much wisdom to be gained from the happenings in current and past events and the truth of why these events occur or occured.