if information is not knowledge then what is knowledge...?

Answer 1

“Knowing” is having direct experience of reality, while “being informed,” is having definitions, descriptions, names and narratives. Knowing vs. being informed are direct antagonists of each other. Knowing is a process that begins in the visual processing of the right side of the brain and culminates in the unification of reality and the two brain hemispheres, while becoming informed takes place in the left side of the brain and culminates in the total separation of reality and the two hemispheres of the brain.

The left side of the brain breaks up the world into finite components and time sequences, and the other, the right side of the brain, focuses on the unity of things in the world. The left hemisphere is the intellectual, syllogistic logical faculty that we measure through IQ tests, which excels in communicating finite concrete ideas, in addition to the definitions and descriptions that makes up the technological processes (chemistry, mathematics).

But not everything in the world fits neatly into definitions, descriptions and linear logic. Therein lies the problem with predominantly left-brained people, and Western civilization in general, who try to use this faculty to communicate all realities. This problem is compounded by the ingrained belief of most people that information is knowledge. And worse when we try to understand ourselves.

“Know thyself,” they say. But what is real? What is the truth?

We perceive the world through our faculty of consciousness, i.e., we perceive thoughts, feelings, physical forces and objects through our consciousness. But consciousness exists apart from the things we are conscious of. We are aware of thoughts and feelings, but these were not generated “consciously.” Neither is consciousness an entity (as is usually taught).

We are also taught that “will” is a separate entity, but it is not, neither separate nor an entity. Consciousness and the will are opposite polarities (passive and active) of the same function. They are not really separate. They are two parts of the same thing, so I shall heretofore refer to them as “consciousness/will,” or simply “C/W.” As two parts of the same thing, they act in concert together. But the will also exists apart from the functions it sanctions, initiates, selects, controls, or suppresses.

We have verbal and graphic thoughts, but we also have a “thought generator, that throws thoughts into the sphere of consciousness, but functions outside and independent of the will. This is the mind.

We also have feelings, emotions and sensations, but also a “feelings generator” (incorrectly labeled as our soul). The generator of thoughts, emotions, and sensations is one and the same. But we have no perception of its existence and activity. Something (this thing) is working outside our sphere of consciousness that is guiding our physiological, mental, sensual, and emotional functions. This hidden, subconscious, or unconscious agent is called the spirit, the psyche, or soul.

Most people describe themselves with their habitual pattern of thought and emotional responses to events. And too, most people identify themselves as the thought generator (their minds) and its contents (their beliefs).

This misunderstanding is responsible for the impossibility to “Know thyself.” I have already described a hidden aspect of our selves which we share with God. Our soul or spirit is intended to be shared by God, and carries a designed and specific function.

The consciousness/will, or C/W, are the indicators of ourselves. If I assign them to the essence of our being, then I am defining our Selves as functions instead of entities. It becomes clear then, that these faculties within us are really the essential expressions of who we are, made by God to serve a function in the world.

Without God in the picture, we are reduced to nothing—a lost and helplessly drifting vessel. We are that which perceives the mental and physical worlds, but is imperceptible itself; that which “will” changes, but cannot (or will not) be willed or influenced to change. We are not aware of it, but C/W is the means through which we are aware of and dominate the world—inner (mental) and outer.

The spirit is the generator of our thoughts and emotions and sensations, as well as the functional agent behind our physiological functions (heartbeat, respiratory, blood flow, etc.); these are the forms and force--- through which our living is conducted, but is not who we are, even though we mistakenly think so. The spirit (unconsciousness) is the storehouse of knowledge, but devoid of consciousness, is incapable of knowing this knowledge. Neither can it know itself or anything, even though it stores the knowledge of the universe. And herein is the crux of the problem.

The consciousness/will can know, but has no storehouse of information. The C/W can initiate changes in the spirit, but lacks the power to carry them out. It can know itself and can identify with the not-self.

The spirit cannot initiate changes in its activities, but it is receptive to change from influences proceeding from the will, suggestions and stimuli from the environment, provided it is exposed to these at the right time or in the proper manner.
The underlying causes of our problems in the world, then, is lack of knowledge of Self, and acting with lack of truth or knowledge. We identify with the modalities of the unconscious, the spirit, instead of the conscious will.

The consciousness/will can decide which thoughts, feelings, and actions will be acceptable, but cannot generate thoughts and feelings, and lacks the power to carry out the acts it indicates to take place. On the other hand, the spirit has the power to generate thoughts, feelings and actions, but cannot direct these. One of them knows and directs, but is uninformed, while the other is incapable of knowing and directing, yet it is the power "to do" in the world.

Power is not an attribute of the will. The concept of interpreting the inability to act as desired, as weakness of the will, is erroneous. Nothing is wrong with the driver, if the car breaks down.

Without some Divine hand or purpose connecting the C/W and the spirit, we can't know anything, are totally lost, and can't possibly act correctly. The car has no driver; it is empty.

Answer 2

Knowledge is useful information.

Answer 3

The ability to discern good information from bad information. That could be considered knowledge as it is a know how -- the kind of knowledge which requires a skill to take some sort of action.

Answer 4

I believe strongly in making a distinction between Information and human knowledge. Information is not human knowledge until the information our body captures or receives is screened and/or condensed into images, words, concepts, propositions, stories, and rules which are then stored in long term memory by the human mind. Knowledge exists in the human body in those parts which are designed to collect,process, and retain the essence of incoming information streams organized or reorganized in our Long Term Memory as retrievable knowledge according to the rules of the language we were imprinted with or otherwise learned by experience.
TWH 09122006

Answer 5

Knowledge is information in use.

Answer 6

The difference is being able to apply the information in a good and constructive manner.
That's knowledge.

Answer 7

If information is knowledge then book is the most intelligent thing on earth . now even flooppy and CDs can be the most intelllgient thigs omn earth . knowledge is the ability to apply what one has learnt to life situations . the ability to read and write doesn ot mean learning . one can lern many things evn without knowing one single alphabet. So knowledge is underatnding anything and eerything and the learned perso who has gained some knowledge which he can apply to life situations- can use th eknowledge practically.

Answer 8

if information is not knowledge then how does one get information/knowledge even if it is knowledge that it exsists? You can not give information without knowing it, even if it is wrong information. You have to have knowledge or information about somrthing even if it is NOT MUCH information/knowledge!!! true good knowledge is given to us if we ask God for it and by PRAYING AND STUDING OF GOD"S WORD THE HOLY BIBLE.

Answer 9

Knowledge is information acquired & the retention of that info. Information for the sake of having it for the moment is not knowledge.

Answer 10

Humm sounds like you are twisting words. Remembered information is knowledge but you can have all the info in the world and not remember it so you would not have any knowledge.

Answer 11

I do not believe that information is not knowledge. It is definitely knowledge, which we gathered from our childhood. Knowledge acquired by us from the external world, through books and others, may be termed as information but we have got our own intelligences to refine all in formations within us and to make out a comments in order to give away for the world of men, which become inf formation for them. However wisdom is the realisation of Self or God and when it is given away for others, givers wisdom become information for others.
Realisation comes from experience. Suppose, Your finger touched fire and you had experience of burning sensation. Now, you have explained it to me. Your experience will remain as an information for me, since, I never had burning experience. Now, I have knowledge that fire burns our figures. It remains as an information in my knowledge, as long as I am not experiencing burning sensation myself to realise the fact about the information received from you, which you transmitted to me from your experience.