Information and Knowledge

Digital era we've been living is filled with information. Social Media, Website stuffs and journals are dime and dozen that deluge information. While worthful, volumes of information often makes our cognitive capabilities overloaded and efficiency of our brain compromised. Actionable knowledge requires diversified information that has to be classified for usability. Fifth chapter of Bhagavadgita begins with: " Knowledge and Action are One".

24/7 cycle of information leads us with overlooked confusion that potentially impair the process of decision-making. Screen-time makes us infodump enough that goal-oriented approach got inflicted with analysis paralysis. Keep in mind that knowledge requires not only understanding, but a keen interpretation of information. Information we acquire has various sources and context on websites and newspapers can only synthesis what we get with our own experiences. Knowledge is the key for informed decisions where problem solving relied on our skills. Skills are part and parcel of knowledge.

Peter Meusburger, Benno Werlen and Laura Suarsana in their book "Knowledge and Action" argue that action produces knowledge but the same time knowledge requires for action. Catch 22. They have definition of Action as "goal-directed human activity" and make it understandable free from pure behavior. They approach unconscious thought where quality of decision-making simultaneously depends on conscious and unconscious thought. A solver for such a Catch-22.

Knowledge produces actions and actions produces knowledge. To adjust information with need of knowledge is depends on skill that's more part of the personality than the knowledge a person has. There are various differences of knowledge and information. Information is the data while knowledge is the useful information. Information improves our ability to give presentation while knowledge improves our consciousness. Mere information not sufficient but through knowledge we acquire capacity to predict. The biggest difference between the two, "Information can be transferred far easily than knowledge".

Treating information as commodity where knowledge equips us with power and here we need to judge the pertinence of information to our required knowledge. Practice makes perfect and develops skill of critical thinking. We can organize information effectively and that apply to acquire more knowledge. Information is tool where knowledge is used as weapon.

There are two kinds of knowledge. First is the theoretical knowledge and second is obviously the practical knowledge. Former relates to our focus on understanding as the former is acquired through our active participation.

Active participation makes us learnt to auto-filter information as experience enhances our practical knowledge. To understand our circles of influence and circle of concern and adjust our personality to them make us capable to apply information for the real-world. We have to accept the reality of lifelong learning that open up door for new information that cultivate better knowledge.

We have to concentrate for a balance between digital and analog learning. Though convenience and efficiency of digital information illumine our cognition with diversity but that could be a illusion. Analog methods as reading printed books, writing by hand and being engaged into face-to-face discussion have their long lasting benefits for sound cognitive realities. Analog methods provides us skill set that help us to think critically, enhance our retentive capabilities and comprehension. These skills are crucial for optimized learning experience. Mindfulness can anytime lead to mindlessness. We need here a process of self-educating that makes us personality shine enough that we keep this challenge with a positive approach. Educate ourselves is necessary. I conclude with words of Albert Einstein (1879-1955), the man once equated to genius, he wrote in his 1936 essay titled "On Education":

"Education is that which remains if one has forgotten what one learned in school."

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____ Waad ur Rehman