From Me to You: The Gift of Knowledge
“Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power multiplied.” — Robert Noyce.
The powerful thing about knowledge is that it is infinitely shareable. This creates a beautiful situation where because individuals are uniquely different, we can apply the same knowledge in different ways.
When I started learning computer programming, I spent most of my time in this endeavour quite isolated. I didn’t know anyone around me that had an interest or some experience in this field. I would often try to get my friends who had no interest in programming to tag along with what I was doing. In hindsight, I realize that made no sense for either party.
Eventually, I found a tech community of individuals who were interested in discussing and learning about technology and specifically, computer programming, and finally felt like I found my place in the world. As I spent time with this community, I learned about how other people were using technology to change the world. I found that people around me were doing great things with technology and this inspired me to believe that I could make a career in this path. It was as a result of one of the conversations that I had with someone during that time that I switched to the area of specialization that I continue to build my skills to this day, many years later.
This is why I believe that knowledge is a gift and sharing knowledge is one of the kindest things a person can do.
What’s The Value of Knowledge?
The more you know, the better chance you have at succeeding at your goals and endeavours. It’s not rocket science: you know more so you just have more tools for dealing with a given scenario. You make better decisions because your decisions are backed by information. In the case of an industry, you can solve a problem because you have more domain knowledge than the next person.
A typical example that comes to mind is a kitchen that has a leaking sink. This is a common problem that many people have experienced but not many people can fix. While I’m highly skilled in computer programming, that experience does not give me the problem-solving techniques to tackle this problem. So ultimately, I need a plumber!
As a society, the innovations and advancements we make are driven by knowledge. We are continuously learning better ways of doing things. We are constantly improving our approach and techniques for tackling hard problems. One of the most advanced technologies in the world of today is the smartphone but the phone has had quite the evolution.
Not to go into many details but the first phones had a single purpose: transporting voice from point A to point B. Then we started building the infrastructure to allow us to communicate over a longer distance between points A and B. Then with the dawn of the internet, we started having phones that allowed you to look at things and communicate through the internet. And then we had the iPhone in 2007 which is the foundation for the modern smartphone of today that can do all manner of things.
It’s been quite the evolution and the smartphone is evolving every day and its capabilities are expanding. So again, what’s the value of knowledge? You tell me in the comments.
Preserving This Precious Gift
The circulation of knowledge is important for the continuous growth of humans as a species so we need to make sure we create avenues and opportunities to share it.
Collaboration is an essential pillar of knowledge sharing. Whether it’s through school projects or work environments in companies and organizations, having opportunities to collaborate, share and learn from each other is crucial.
Mentorship allows us to learn from those who have come before us and build on the successes they were able to achieve. It’s the quickest path to success because mentors can point you to the shortest path to get to your goals. All you need to do is to put in the work.
Storytelling is another way to share knowledge. Books, documentaries, movies, social media and so on. We have many mediums for storytelling and just need people to continue to share their stories to inspire us.
In the tech space, we have open-source projects and communities where a group of people come together to build. This creates an avenue for knowledge sharing because people have different perspectives and experiences so they bring this wealth of knowledge to these projects which leads to an overall better and more inclusive project.
In conclusion, knowledge is a gift that’s best enjoyed when it’s shared. You don’t know the kinds of opportunities you could receive as a result of your sharing. You don’t know if what you share is the word that shines the light for someone else who is in a bad place. And lastly, you never know who or how what you share will inspire. So share your knowledge today!
