Knowledge is not the same as information

Information has become a commodity. It’s so abundant the cost of processing it exceeds any reason to try. Everyone you know skims articles, snacks on social media, and jams 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: a phone number, a headline, a list of ingredients.

Knowledge is organic; it takes energy to make and use. Knowing some digits means nothing until you can call and begin the beguine. A headline is a handful of nothing until you convince a stranger of some truth. Flour, eggs, sugar, and salt, are data before you transform them into delicious carbs.

Information becomes knowledge when you roll up your sleeves and work with it a little. Mix in what you already know, abandon something you thought you knew, and feel your fingers get warmed by the chemical reaction.

Knowledge worth a damn should cause a little friction (friction) in your skull. Friction leads to heat, and ultimately, illumination.