10 Reasons Why Acquiring And Applying The Right Knowledge Is Important
You may have heard the popular saying
that knowledge is power, and yet in this age of information, so many people
willingly choose to remain ignorant. Several studies and research suggest that
people may choose to remain ignorant when the information is painful or hurtful.
For example, a study that was carried out by Gerd Gigerenzer with a sample size
of 2,000 people showed that 90% will rather not know the date that their
partner will die.
You may be thinking, ‘Why on Earth
would anyone want to even think about the day their partner would no longer be
with them', right? Some people may want to know so they can be physically
present to comfort their partner and make their last goodbye special. Others
may not want to know because they believe they may not be able to handle the emotional
aspect of knowing. Regardless of someone’s reason or reasons for wanting or not
wanting to know, having available knowledge can be good because it can provide
you with choices as to how you wish to use it, allow you to use it positively,
productively, and wisely, or help you learn all the available options
surrounding it.
Acquiring knowledge is relevant to
building a strong career, making informed decisions, and in virtually every
other aspect of our lives. Acquiring knowledge is quite important, however,
this knowledge counts as nothing if you are unable to apply the right knowledge
in different situations. In terms of employment, knowledge is having practical and theoretical information on how to perform a task, but skills
refer to how effectively you can apply that knowledge. So, you can think of the
application of knowledge in terms of skills and the ability to apply those
skills effectively.
In this article, we will discuss the
10 reasons why acquiring and applying the knowledge is important.
1.
Knowledge Helps You Take In More Information
Factual knowledge gives you the
ability to form thoughts when you take in information by reading or listening.
This is because comprehension exceeds just knowing vocabulary and syntax but
rather depends on making correct inferences since language is built on
semantics in which knowledge is assumed. An obvious way that you can confirm
that knowledge aids the acquisition of more information is in the power it
affords in making correct inferences.
2.
Knowledge Improves Thinking
When you acquire knowledge, it helps
develop your thinking abilities in two ways:
• It can help you solve pending
problems by freeing up space in your working memory to process new information.
• It can enhance critical
thinking and reasoning by acting as a supply of things you have previously
thought about.
3. Knowledge Helps
You Understand Yourself
Having knowledge, you can easily
analyze yourself and make the best and most informed decisions in your life.
This is not to say mistakes won’t happen but think of it from the aspect of
educated guesses; when you make an educated guess you don’t know the outcome,
but you have made that choice based on the available information. So, with
knowledge, you can make informed decisions rather than making false
assumptions.
4.
Learning Can Open Up Your Mind
The world is constantly changing and
there is a vast sea of new information daily. Opening your mind up to knowledge
will keep you more informed and renew your views of the world. Broadening your
mind to knowledge on diverse topics is important in surviving in the (digital)
world.
5.
Knowledge Is Power
We hear this all too often without
fully grasping what it means. With knowledge, you can make informed decisions,
help yourself, and help others around you. For example, as a business owner,
you have the knowledge to make your business scale and be successful. Same with
a student, having knowledge on a topic or course will guarantee you some
success in your education.
6.
Knowledge Can Make Problem-Solving Easier
When you talk about problem-solving,
it simply means having the knowledge and the skill of applying the knowledge to
overcome problems that you face. With knowledge, you can greatly expand on your
thinking to effectively solve problems.
7.
Knowledge Can Help You To Build Skills
In simple terms, knowledge is the
theoretical information on skills. The application of knowledge is skills. When
you learn new skills, you are applying knowledge. Based on information and
research, you can build on your knowledge and improve skills where necessary.
Knowledge and hands-on application of it is the reason for the skill gap in
employment. Some people have knowledge but are ignorant of the right or
effective application of it.
8.
Knowledge Can Help You To Retain Information
It is easier to store information in
your memory when you have prior knowledge of the topic. What this means is that
when you already have information on a particular subject, adding more
information to the stack can be easier than gathering knowledge on a new topic.
The theory behind this is that a network of associations makes the memory
stronger. That is, information is easier to remember when it can be associated
with information that already exists.
9.
Knowledge Holds The Key To Success
Much cannot be achieved without
knowledge. The breakthroughs in health, technology, engineering, and every
other field is initially a result of knowledge. There is little that can be
established without knowledge and its application. In essence, knowledge is
directly related to success.
10.
Knowledge Can Help You Improve
You can’t know if there is an issue
if you don’t have knowledge on a topic. Knowledge can help you identify
problems, improve your skills, and remain relevant. For example, in a business,
you need to be able to understand your industry to identify challenges and
opportunities to improve the systems and processes of your business. It is only
with the knowledge that you can grow and improve on skills and abilities.
Conclusion
The part of the Arab proverb that says, “He
who knows not, and knows not that he knows not, is a fool; shun him.” simply
explains the ignorance of people in assumption on topics without really having
the knowledge. It explains that some people are simply ignorant of the fact that
they are ignorant.
People can suffer greatly because of a lack of knowledge even when the knowledge is readily available. The complacency of many individuals can make them unwilling to engage in necessary research that will arm them with the necessary information and this can be detrimental to their well-being and the well-being of others. Interestingly and to the contrary, what an ignorant or malicious individual knows can be harmful if they misuse or abuse knowledge.
The task doesn’t end in gathering or
having information. For best practices, you need to apply that information in
your immediate surroundings and situations in ways that can benefit you and
others. Remember, ignorance is not an excuse, nor is it necessarily bliss, and
with knowledge comes power and responsibility.
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