Drowning in Information, Starving for Knowledge
Posted on 27. Apr, 2011 by Tanvir Siddiqui in Opinion
By Tanvir Ahmed Siddiqui
“We are drowning in information but starving for Knowledge” said by John Nesbit long ago. But that is true even for today when we remain more & more informed but so desperately lack in knowledge. To understand and appreciate this concept we need to firstly acknowledge the difference between Knowledge and Information. We can define them both as related, yet mutually exclusive concepts? I have been thinking with the issue particularly when our lives and livelihood is mostly dependant to information that we get mainly through media. Knowledge consists of specific and unique facts, truths, causes and affects of original sources like judgments, decisions, and methodologies and know how? Knowledge is accumulated and integrated and held over time to handle specific situations and challenges. Information is interpreted, motivated or rather fabricated consists of data mostly organized purposely to describe and tell a particular situation or condition in a desired way. If I call my bank and ask Hello my account # is 9876 what is my balance? The call recipient instantly tells me my balance is 1500/-. This is a swift exchange of specific, to the point, factual knowledge at both ends. But if I call my bank, convey my account # and ask for my balance the recipients tells me the system is down please call again. I call again and this time a different recipient says the concerned Clark is not on his seat. I call third time and finally come to know, sorry as a matter of fact as per our policy we do not convey account balances on phone. In that duration of all those three calls those different recipients in their individual capacities of passing on the information kept on testing my patience and kept on playing with my time.
Information has multi-dimensions with endless number of twisted ifs and buts but knowledge as truth is always unique, precise, to the point, actual, factual and exact. Telling us all about . whos? & whys? wheres? and whats? To be more explicit about the concept, knowledge in my opinion is exact happening and progression of a particular event and its cause and effect directly on people living in that particular moment whereas Information is the historical or aftermath explanation of that event. Explanation thereafter which is called as news report of course depending upon understanding blended and mixed with personal point of view, ideas and opinion of the reporter and moderator. Therefore today it is so easy to find information twisted with number of ifs & buts, but really so hard to gain knowledge that is factual, to the point & precise about who’s and whys. This is happening especially since information mainly for commercial reasons but pertinently for certain objectives has been pronounced as Infotainment. Unfortunately this fabrication, fascination, commercialization and rather monetization of information has been purposely blended with entertainment basically for exploitation of average mind.
Through modernization of information technology and expanse of info networks this infotainment phobia has rather widened gaps of mutual mistrust in miles and miles not only within and across societies but also between nations and states. Today individually and collectively in our own groups and factions because of this Information mainly without Knowledge we are either made to collide or motivated to cooperate within and across our societies.
Because of this infotainment syndrome we are mentally and physically transformed every next day from Hate to Love and Love to Hate that means we are driven mentally to act physically. Under this information warfare we even tend to live or compelled to die. Through Infotainment shots we are made to experience a particular situation and to react in a designed way. This is called Situated-ness or Situated actions that are brought in place purposely by change agents of forces. At the same time those who have the actual and factual knowledge about the cause and affect of any pleasant or unpleasant event or situation of local, national and international importance either remain inaccessible or in state of defiance because of their own hidden and obvious reasons. On the other hand 24/7 world of infotainment has to keep on rolling and plying at its own speed on highways and freeways of financial and political marathon. To keep up twenty four hours by seven days expedition of infotainment, media stalwarts fill their time slots with their own likes of information blended with sugar and spice through new and new forms and ideas of glamorous, fascinating, seducing and thrilling presentations.
Since our independence we have variety of information about division of Indo-Pak boundaries but have no knowledge how when & where decisions were made and what actually made all this happen? We have loads of Information about illness and inefficacy of Quid e Azam thereafter day of independence but no knowledge what actually happened that caused his demise? We have manifold of information about the murder of Quid e Millat Khan Liaqat Ali khan but have no knowledge who did why and what? We have ton loads of information without knowledge about 1965 Indo-Pak war and subsequent Tashkent Pact and than war of 1971 and fall of East Pakistan in aftermath of the shameful surrender of 90000 Pak Army Troops and subsequent Shimla Agreement between ZAB and Indira Gandhi that actually threw away Kashmir issue in the back yards. Despite knowing so much about white elephants we actually no nothing about death sentence of ZAB. We also have ton loads of information about rise & than fall of USSR in our neighborhood and than C130 Air crash of Mango kraits taking along elite line of Genl Zia Ul Haq along with our star soldiers. We also have truck loads of information without knowledge about debacle of Kargil and aftermath of Airplane hijacking case, life imprisonment and than exile of Sharif Bros. Than comes the reign of yet another ambitious and gallant Commando Genl. Mushurruf who made us all trembling in fear of Stone Age. What actually made him turn his face away from Talibaans taking u turn towards Washington to throw the nation at the alter of continued siege of Terror and Drones. Than comes the return and assassination of BB in backdrop of NRO and specially the notorious Will that was so efficiently en-cashed and capitalized by the clan of her spouse to the extent of taking oath as President of this country. Here comes on the scene and there goes away at hoodwink of moment the hero of our national honor, dignity and sovereignty the one Mr. Raymond Davis.
Same Mr. Raymond Davis who left for us mounts of information but no knowledge about what he came for and how he has gone away? We have drones full of information but no knowledge where these bloody drones come from and where they go away? Every next week energy prices take another leap forward but we don’t know what Mr. Kerry and Mr. Lugar are up to? We get loads of information about irritating and sickening load shedding and about the short fall of over 6000MW (so far) but we have no knowledge where the hell that real power of this land of pure has actually gone?
I read somewhere a quote of Lord Chesterfield: “Chapter of Knowledge is too short but chapter of accidents is very long”. Same is the case with infotainment syndrome that hides that real knowledge somewhere far behind colorful and artificial smoke screens and thick layers of extensive information. Whereas without knowledge we are left over here on darkling plan swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight where ignorant armies of our shattered dreams clash by day & night. The whole country is in state of continued defiance and denial only because we are too much informed about what’s happening but really have no knowledge what the hell is really happening? As said by Walter Mondale: “Anyone not confused here does not understand what’s going on? If you are sure you understand everything that is going on , you are hopelessly confused and perhaps that is the main idea
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16 Responses to “Drowning in Information, Starving for Knowledge”
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Tanvir A Siddiqui
Mel Rockefeller
27. Apr, 2011
Brilliant, timely, relevant piece. The world is on information overload with those who control the media globally relying on the velocity of exchange to dumb down the mind. Thank you…
Mel
Tanvir Ahmed Siddiqui
02. May, 2011
Thank You Mr. Rockfellor..I apprecaite for your time and your breif comment. "I feel We are victom of situated-ness through Infotainment" Now Obama and Osama ther is a difference of one letter only..let see for how long we have to live with…
Javaid Manzoor
28. Apr, 2011
Type your comment here…It was pleasure to read this article. Two decades ago information warfare was difficult to understand, but today its clear what the west is trying. The life of masses is getting worst due to spray of sadness and madness by the media information. Its diffcult to match media as they are higly paid by their friends in dollars.
Tanvir Ahmed Siddiqui
02. May, 2011
Thank You Javed Sb: Intents remain hidden actions are so obvious….Ignorance at times is blessing not a curse..
Rehmat
28. Apr, 2011
Islam and Muslims have been under Judeo-Christian attacks since the Dawn of Islam in 610 CE. The aggressors have changed with the passage of times – but the agenda remains the same to this day. The wars to occupy Muslim lands to loot their natural resources and scientic achievements have been carried out under various false slogans, such as, “Muslims are occupying Christian lands” or “Islamic religion is threat to the Western civilization” or “Islam is not compatible with Western values” or to “bring democracy and liberate Muslim women”. The driving force behind these propaganda lies, recently, have changed from the Church to the World Zionist Congress. In the past, Western powers colonized Muslim lands for various reasons – from exploitation of their natural resources to human slave trade. Since the middle of the last century, the Western colonialist powers have been replaced by American imperialism, which has fought all its war against the Muslim world for the security and expansion of the Zionist entity.
http://rehmat1.wordpress.com/2010/05/13/western-wars-on-islamic-world/
Tanvir Ahmed Siddiqui
02. May, 2011
Rehmat sb: We are living in the age when those Zion Protocols are being persued at highest gear. Will come back to you very soon with my detailed writeup on Zion henious design plan..
Ayesha V
29. Apr, 2011
very apt and timely article, sensory and information overload , most of the time we focused only in trivilaities but we failed to dig deeper at the root causes of every conflict and predicament. we often mistaken information as knowlege and it affected our capacity to dessiminate the truth. It was John Nesbitt who said that " We are drowning in information but we STARVE for knowledge"
and it was Rutherford D. Rogers who said " We're drowning in information and STARVING for knowledge"
Tanvir Ahmed Siddiqui
29. Apr, 2011
Thank you so much fr ur attention and feedback MS Aysha..
Infact Politics and Polity here there and everywhere is least transparent and highly mysterious business mainly because of hidden intents of subversion and exploitation of masses by politicains and there change agents to prolong and maximise their stay on levers of powers and prerogatives. Knowledge is therefore confiscated and Information is thrown out for open molestation..
Drowning in Information, Starving for Knowledge « Terry Olgin's Blog
29. Apr, 2011
[...] Drowning in Information, Starving for Knowledge April 28, 2011 // 0 Drowning in Information, Starving for Knowledge [...]
Lynn D.
30. Apr, 2011
"Fools hate knowledge." ~Proverbs 1:22
Tanvir Ahmed Siddiqui
02. May, 2011
Lynn D. At times i feel Ignorance is blessing no more a curse..
Lynn D.
30. Apr, 2011
By the way Rehmat: True Christians are followers of Christ. Christ commands His followers to "love their enemies and turn the other cheek" NOT go to war against them, bomb them, torture them and steal their resources. The people you are referring to as "Christians" are NOT true Christians but they call themselves by that name. In fact, they are ANTICHRIST and follow a "God" of their own making, not the True Word of God (Jesus Christ/John 1:1). So, as a true follower of Christ, please don't confuse me with these hypocrites and charlatans who worship a false christ and disobey the REAL One.
Naeem
03. May, 2011
Well that’s true Mr. Lynn D, but perhaps you know that all true religions including ISLAM direct their followers to live with peace and not to bomb innocent people and blow themselves. but still you see when ever and where ever such thing happens the media specially the western media doest say its terrorist they say "MUSLIM DID THIS"…
so i guess common people and true followers of ISLAM or CHERISTANITY does like to live with peace but the THINK TANKS as Mr. Siddique called them Christians doesn’t seems to be agree with most of them, they rather like play the game of power..
David Griffin
01. May, 2011
The flood and constant barrage of "information" is a well-used counterintelligence tool for keeping the really important and powerful truths hidden. People become so overwhelmed with data that they tend to resist the inflow, and begin rejecting and pushing back any further data, thus doing the work of counterintelligence themselves.
However, if someone were to gather-up some of the really important and powerful truths in an area without all the usual and meaningless fluff and fill…
http://www.upwardvectorpubs.com
Tanvir Ahmed Siddiqui
02. May, 2011
Mr. Obama Takes the Glory of Obama..Today once again, Information is desperatly in Search of Knowledge..let see how long we have to live with and witness yet another Tom & Jerry show..
Tanvir Ahmed Siddiqui
02. May, 2011
OBAMA takes the glory of OSAMA..see? that one letter word ..how slippery?