Information and Knowledge

Generally we confuse between Information and Knowledge. We feel that Information itself is Knowledge or we are not aware if there is a difference between them.

Lets take a few examples.

1. Suppose I come to know that a thing when dropped from a height falls down on the ground. I myself observed it happening and I am totally assured within myself that this is how it is. Now suppose you do not know it. I come and give you this Information that an object when released from a height falls on to the ground. This Information remains an Information to you till the time you yourself observe this phenomena happening. When you observe this thing happening and you also totally get assured within yourself that, “this is how it is”, then it becomes Knowledge to you.

2. Suppose I tasted sugar. I come to know that it is sweet. Now suppose you do not know it. I come and tell you that sugar’s taste is sweet. I give you some examples of some other things which taste similar to sugar. You make a prediction for the taste of Sugar. You make an intuition that, “it should be something like this”. When you taste sugar yourself then you get totally assured about the taste of Sugar. Then you “Know” the taste of Sugar which I was talking about.

3. Suppose you have not seen white color, but I have seen it. I ask you, which color have  you seen? you say, red. Now I want to “draw your attention” towards white color. I tell you, keep fading the red color from the  image of red color you have in your mind. After fading it so much that red color is almost gone the color which you will be left with will be very similar to white. You do that. Now before seeing white color yourself you have an intuition about white color in your mind. When you see white color directly then you get assured that “Yes, this is how it is” or it is more closer to your imagination of white color. It becomes part of your Knowledge.

4. Suppose I know that Trust is mutually acceptable to a human being in a relationship and mistrust is not. I try to draw your attention towards this aspect with the help of some examples and observations in relationships. You pay attention towards those examples, you start relating to that. You find those examples right. You start feeling that “this seems right”. When you totally get assured within yourself that “This is how it is” then it becomes part of your Knowledge. Till the time you did not get totally assured within yourself the thing which you have is the information. When you are totally assured within yourself then it becomes part of your Knowledge.

5. Suppose I have understood that “Happiness is the basic need of a human being and all the works of a human being are happening for the sake of ensuring happiness only”. I tell you this thing. You get this information. I give you several examples in support of this fact. You find them right. When you also totally get assured within yourself that “This is  how it is” then it becomes part of your knowledge.

Once we “Know” or “Understand” then we need not to remember it. Till the time we do not “Know”,  what we have is “Information”. We need to remember “Information”.

Information is a way towards Knowledge and not the Knowledge itself.

There is a reality. When I know it and want to explain it to you, I tell you about it. I try to draw your attention towards it. You get information about the reality. This information becomes source of direction and motivation to know the reality in you. When you observe/realize that reality by yourself then you “Know” it.

This faculty of “Imagination” which is there in a human being facilitates him to Know the reality with the help of Information available to him. Whatever we get to know from a book, person or any other source is the Information and NOT the Knowledge. It becomes Knowledge when we observe the reality by ourselves, which the book, other person etc. are trying to convey to us.

The major mistake which we do is we assume our Information as Knowledge and we ourselves are not aware of it.

There is one more major thing which needs consideration. In the above 5 examples first 3 examples involve observation through senses. Last 2 examples require observation beyond senses. Like I can not see through eyes that I want to live with this feeling Trust. I can not smell it, I can touch it, I can not hear it, I can not taste it. I can just observe it within myself and get assured that “this is how it is”. It also implies that reality is not perceivable with the help of senses only. Senses observe very very limited section of reality.

A human being by birth has this expectation of living with Happiness. He wants Certainty, Consistency and Continuity of Happiness. To live with Happiness he needs Knowledge. Our faculty of Imagination helps us directing our attention towards the Reality with the help of Information which is available to us about the Reality. In the absense of Information about the Reality we can come to know where Happiness is NOT but we can not come to Know where it is! Information gives direction. Information can be made available only by a person who has Known the Reality.

Currently due to lack of understanding of our own purpose of life this faculty of imagination is not getting rightly utilized. With the right proposal and direction we can utilize it rightly.

Purpose of Information is to give direction to our Imagination towards the Reality. Once our Imagination touches the Reality we Know the Reality. Till the time it does not touch the Reality what we have is the Imagination of the reality. Over the course of time the imagination of Reality we have keeps becoming more and more finer and ultimately touches it.

Information when verified on the basis of one’s own right becomes, Knowledge.