In my Knowing More By Knowing Less post I stressed the importance of understanding, and aggregating, concepts in today’s world:
It’s the aggregation of concepts where one can really extend their learning. An imagination filled with an understanding of concepts creates value in today’s world.
I’ve now found a nice way to layout the reasons why one should “effectively use the tools that allow you to forget.”
Thanks to Nivi, who quoted Ackoff:
Learning is the acquisition of data, information, knowledge, understanding, and wisdom.
Data consists of symbols that represent objects, events, and their properties. For example, the speedometer in a car presents data.
Information is data that has been made useful. Information answers who, what, where, when, and how many questions. Information is helpful in deciding what to do, not how to do it. For example, the information that you are driving at 120 mph will help you decide whether to speed up or slow down. But information won’t tell you how to do it.
Knowledge consists of instructions and know-how. Knowledge answers how questions. For example, your driving knowledge tells you how to control the car’s speed.
Understanding consists of explanations. Understanding answers why questions. For example, you understand why you are in the car in the first place: because you are driving your kids to get ice cream.
Wisdom is the ability to perceive outcomes and determine their value. It is useful for deciding what should be done. For example, the wise may decide that driving recklessly may lead their children to do the same in the future.
As Nivi says, “an ounce of wisdom is worth a pound of understanding, an ounce of understanding is worth a pound of knowledge, and so on.”
See, the beautiful thing is that advances in technology allow us to all but forget about data and information, freeing us to focus on the higher valued levels of learning - knowledge, understanding, and wisdom.
The area I’d first strive to obtain wisdom in is, ironically, how to obtain information. Armed with that wisdom, returns from learning increasingly become efficient.
On a slightly different note, I’m starting to believe that the real value in numerous diverse areas results from the act of aggregation.
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