I love this quote by David Weinberger because it accurately describes how we acquire knowledge—not just through rational methods but also via curiosity, social bonds, intuition, and even mistakes. His crucial insight that “knowledge is not determined by information” is spot-on. In complex situations, having data isn’t enough; it’s deciding which information matters that truly defines knowledge.
We get to knowledge — especially "actionable" knowledge — by having desires and curiosity, through plotting and play, by being wrong more often than right, by talking with others and forming social bonds, by applying methods and then backing away from them, by calculation and serendipity, by rationality and intuition, by institutional processes and social roles.
Most important in this regard, where the decisions are tough and knowledge is hard to come by, knowledge is not determined by information, for it is the knowing process that first decides which information is relevant, and how it is to be used.
Knowledge Letter: Issue: 288 (Subscribe)
Tags: David Weinberger (15) | knowledge (64)
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