Proverbs 15 -- Nonlinearities in Knowledge
[14] The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness.
The idea of "virtuous cycles" and "vicious cycles" is widespread. Today's verse gives us an example of how to apply the idea to knowledge. Once one has understanding, then one knows to seek, but without the understanding one does not know to seek and so feeds on foolishness. The tough question, then, is how to be sure to attain the virtuous cycle (understanding --> seeking knowledge --> more understanding) rather than its vicious counterpart. The easy way is for this process to begin as a child. In this chapter (and previous chapters) there is emphasis on the importance of learning from one's parents. Isaac Asimov's father was a Russian immigrant and ran a drugstore in Brooklyn. When his father asked how Isaac knew so much, he replied that he had learned it from his father. His father was skeptical, so Issac explained, "You taught me to read and to value learning. The rest was easy."
Wisdom, like money and industrial investment, is easier to obtain once you already have some. However, it is difficult to start the process. These nonlinearities make the mathematical analysis of these processes more challenging as well as complicating the implementation of any policies to improve the outcomes. The challenge for the interested reader is to think about how to quantify knowledge (check the research by Paul Romer if you are interested in an influential approach) and wisdom.
The idea of "virtuous cycles" and "vicious cycles" is widespread. Today's verse gives us an example of how to apply the idea to knowledge. Once one has understanding, then one knows to seek, but without the understanding one does not know to seek and so feeds on foolishness. The tough question, then, is how to be sure to attain the virtuous cycle (understanding --> seeking knowledge --> more understanding) rather than its vicious counterpart. The easy way is for this process to begin as a child. In this chapter (and previous chapters) there is emphasis on the importance of learning from one's parents. Isaac Asimov's father was a Russian immigrant and ran a drugstore in Brooklyn. When his father asked how Isaac knew so much, he replied that he had learned it from his father. His father was skeptical, so Issac explained, "You taught me to read and to value learning. The rest was easy."
Wisdom, like money and industrial investment, is easier to obtain once you already have some. However, it is difficult to start the process. These nonlinearities make the mathematical analysis of these processes more challenging as well as complicating the implementation of any policies to improve the outcomes. The challenge for the interested reader is to think about how to quantify knowledge (check the research by Paul Romer if you are interested in an influential approach) and wisdom.
Posted by William T. Bogart on
Thursday March 15, 2007 at 10:29am