Knowledge, Wisdom, Understanding: What's The Difference?
Our Metaphorical Dream House: Foundation, Framework, and Finish
Note to Readers:
For a number of weeks now, I have been exploring the principle of Personal Transformation.
How to overcome conformity,
Why our thoughts are so powerful,
Why Personal Transformation is so vital to fulfilling our life goals.
Previously, I had introduced a little formula, T=E+A+M to show Practical Personal Transformation - Putting feet to it, so to speak. I used the illustration of a boat with a rudder, paddle, and sail to introduce tools to help us take action.
Last post we began looking at the “E” (EDUCATION) in the T.E.A.M. formula, beginning with Formal Education (primary, secondary, post secondary) as the foundation upon which we may build our dream house.
This post will take a look at informal or self education, which are the building materials for our dream house.
So, let’s jump right in . . .
Merriam-Webster describes Self Education as “the act or process of educating oneself by one's own efforts especially through reading and informal study.”
In reality, we are all “self educating” ourselves constantly through the things we do, what we listen to, what we read, and who we are influenced by.
Sadly, most of this “education” is mindless. It is worthless and/or even detrimental to our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
The information, things, and people we surround ourselves with have tremendous influence over our lives.
Thankfully, we have a lot of control over what and who we let into our lives. But, as has been mentioned, what is easy to do is also easy not to do.
In the Morning Coffee series, I have been going through James Clear’s book, ATOMIC HABITS, Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results. He talks about the four laws of creating new habits
Make it obvious
Make it attractive
Make it easy
Make it satisfying
And conversely, breaking bad habits:
Make it invisible
Make it unattractive
Make is difficult
Make it unsatisfying
None of these things are hard to do, but they do take effort and that’s where we run into trouble.
Many, if not most, of us simply refuse to put out the effort to make the changes necessary to achieve a different outcome in life.
Even formal education courses of study are designed to lead to a certain outcome. Most do not foster a desire for life-long learning and personal transformation. Once we “graduate”, we’re done with education.
Do it Yourself
So, if we want a different outcome in our lives, it is up to us.
We must take our education into our own hands.
We must build the (metaphorical) house of our dreams.
The educational institutions, product marketers, corporations, and even governments often work hand in hand to shape (reshape) societal and cultural norms.
They have a vested interest.
The goal is cultivate a culture of conformity to their worldview, their desires, and their control.
“Here you go. Here’s a good job for you. Here’s a good social program for you. Here’s everything you need for a basic life of conformity.
We’ll tell you what to think, how to act, how, where, and who to worship.
You just be quiet and do what you’re told. No need to ask questions.”
Sadly, most go right along with the program . . .
If that is not the life you desire, then it is going to be up to you to choose and different path.
That is where Self Education comes into play.
Jim Rohn says:
Formal education will make you a living. Self education will make you a fortune.
Pioneers of the Possible
Thankfully, there are many that have gone before us, who have documented the way and have left us (and still do) a vast amount of resources to help us on our journey.
So, the problem is not with a lack of materials. The problem is with us.
Our desire for change must be great enough to do what is necessary to change.
When that is the case, change will happen.
For simplicity’s sake, let’s look at Personal Transformation like building a house.
We’re ready to move beyond the foundation and build our dream.
The first thing we need to do is to acquire the building materials.
Knowledge, Wisdom, Understanding - The Building Materials of a Transformed Life
Solomon, in the Proverbs, talks about three areas of awareness: Knowledge, Wisdom, and Understanding.
They’re all related, but differ in application.
In an analogy of building a house, knowledge, understanding, and wisdom can be seen as follows:
Knowledge can be thought of as the foundation. It is the awareness of information, this basis for building the rest of the house. Without knowledge, there would be no foundation to build upon.
Understanding is the comprehension, interpretation, or enlightenment gained from knowing.
This is the framework that sits on the foundation, upon which the finished product can built.
Wisdom is the discernment, insight, perception to apply the understanding of what we know.
Wisdom is the finsished product and future improvements.
They’re Everywhere, They’re Everywhere
Where do we find the building materials for our house of personal transformation?
Offline, you have good old fashioned books: Hardback, paperback, audio, videos.
Libraries and bookstores abound in every town and city.
With the internet you have youtube and online learning platforms.
Many colleges offer for credit directly and non-credit courses online through platforms such as ed2go.com.
Even libraries are getting in on the online bandwagon with ebooks and video virtual checkout.
Just googling a subject will produce hundreds of options.
My point being is that there is a huge repository of resources available to help you with your personal transformation project.
You are the builder. The materials are there, ready for use. But, you must take action.
Next week, we will begin looking at the ACTION needed to implement a plan, a strategy to build a new life for yourself.
Until next time, friends . . .
Plenty of people have knowledge, but lack wisdom. A glance at the faculty at nearly any college faculty will demonstrate that.