Many of us have heard the phrase “knowledge is power”. It is told to both young and old alike and its message rings true.

But why though? Why is knowledge such a valuable thing?

What is its significance to us? Let’s talk about it.

What is knowledge (according to me)?

 

 I personally define knowledge as acquired information that we learn. This information can be over just about anything. It doesn’t matter.

There are two main types of intelligence that most often get discussed. Those are fluid intelligence and crystallized intelligence.

What is fluid intelligence?

 

Fluid intelligence is basically a person’s ability to problem-solve independently from previously acquired knowledge.

Fluid intelligence involves thinking outside of the box.

What is fluid and crystallized intelligence examples? | iq-test

What is crystallized intelligence?

 

Crystallized intelligence is the opposite of fluid intelligence.

Unlike fluid intelligence, a person exemplifying crystallized intelligence uses previously acquired information to solve their problem.

Crystallized knowledge is the information that you have stored in your brain.

Fluid Intelligence vs. Crystallized Intelligence (verywellmind.com)

Examples of both

Examples of fluid intelligence would be:

1. Creating a strategic plan to solve a problem
2. Solving a riddle
3. Identifying patterns

Examples of crystallized intelligence would be:

1. The information you remember for your history test.
2. Knowing what time to leave your home to make it to work on time.
3. Recalling the name of your child

Knowledge is not fixed

A person’s level of knowledge can always grow. This is the case for everyone. And with the way things are headed, that is simpler than ever before.

We as a society are getting smarter. Because of modern tech and high-speed internet, we are able to learn just about anything we desire. This is good for two reasons.

1. It helps us learn what we did not know before.
2. It helps us build upon what we already knew.

Why is knowledge important?

Knowledge is important because it helps us grow as people. That knowledge can then be used to our advantage in the future.

If we know that X happens because of Y then we can use that information to solve future problems.

We need to expand our minds by moving beyond the basics. This should be the goal all along. This does not mean that the basics are not important though.

Example: In order to be a neurosurgeon, you must first learn about the brain.

A person needs to learn the basics first. We wouldn’t be where we are today without first having a mastery of the basics.

Without the basics, we would not even have a framework for what is and what isn’t. Having a strong understanding of the basics is paramount to expertise.

After all, every professional starts out as a novice.

Conclusion

We as a people should strive for excellence. In doing that, we will inevitably learn many things.

  It doesn’t matter the subject.  Knowledge is knowledge.

   With brilliant minds of the past, we were able to get automobiles, electricity, and the internet.

Who knows what will come next. If our advancements in the next century are as game-changing as the ones in the last 100 years, we have a lot to look forward to.