Act Based on Knowledge

We live in a world where information is at our fingertips, and frankly I believe that information availability has contributed to a lack of real knowledge in the world.

I am, as I have mentioned many times, a proponent of gaining true knowledge and that comes from the study of and depth of understanding related to what it is you are looking at. Just taking the first bit of information as that which is correct is irresponsible. Aarron, my youngest son is currently taking a statistics class and is learning how something can be manipulated to tell the story wanted. With information, the ability to include and exclude information allows the story you want to be told so as to demonstrate your “intelligence” with regard to the subject. The problem is that your “intelligence” is based on limited or select information.

“¹⁶In everything the prudent acts with knowledge, but a fool flaunts his folly.” – Proverbs 13:16 (ESV)

Knowledge is based on depth of understanding and not simply on the information you have at your fingertips. Anyone can look up data that will tell the story they are wanting to see. It takes a true man/woman of understanding to put their own biases aside and look for the truth. The idea that one person is right and another is wrong is likely way too far from the truth. The reality is that both are correct based on the information they have. Where the real truth is revealed is when the two get together, share their information with one another and dissect that information to find the real truth, which is likely somewhere in the middle of all of the information.

I have been in education for some time now and in that time have not been afraid of learning and understanding the full story. During my time I have asked for and accepted other perspectives and on a number of occasions have pressed to get something changed based on new information that was gathered and learned. It is important to put my own biases aside to learn the truth and get to the root of the information so as to be well informed with true knowledge in everything.

What information have you accepted blindly as being correct? Are you willing to look at other information that may challenge what you know? What if you were to look at everything with a curiosity to gain real knowledge?