“Any fool can know. The point is to understand.”
–Albert Einstein
Information is like a coin, abundant in circulation, but it won’t buy you much. Knowledge, on the other hand, is a polished gem, refined through the process of understanding and experience.
These days, information is a commodity; it’s so abundant people prefer to discard it than actually use it. You are what you read and most of us skim articles, snack on social media, and jam half-remembered headlines in a doggie bag for later. None of this tomfoolery leads to knowledge.
Most information is obtained passively and much of it is “inert”:
Knowledge is active. It takes energy to acquire and use:
Information leads to knowledge when you do something with it. Like mixing it with other information and causing a chemical reaction.
Knowledge worth a damn should cause a little buzz in your skull. You need a little friction because friction leads to heat, and ultimately, illumination.