If you are curiosity and have a strong desire to make a significant impact on society, there are three distinct paths you can pursue: informants, mavens, or sages.
It all begins with the fundamental human desire to seek and acquire knowledge. As humans, we have a need for three types of data in order to navigate different aspects of our lives: information, knowledge, and wisdom. Each type of data serves a unique purpose:
a) Information is primarily required for day-to-day or short-term use. It is typically necessary to complete specific tasks or processes and is organized in a linked-list or spider-web connectivity model. This interconnectedness of information allows for the execution of various functions and processes. For instance, if you wish to enroll your children in school, you need information about school timings, uniforms, document requirements, and the application submission process. In many cases, information is disposable — once we find and use it, we discard it.
b) Knowledge is necessary for long-term goals and roles that align with our individual personalities. For example, as a programmer, you may need to acquire knowledge on how to develop a compiler. Knowledge is usually derived from one or more bodies of specialized knowledge and has a more permanent relationship in our work or personal lives.
c) Wisdom is a profound yearning that most of us do not actively seek on a daily basis. However, when we encounter wisdom, it brings a fresh perspective to our day and provides a deeper understanding of life or specific challenges. Wisdom can be seen as distilled knowledge.
To satisfy our need for these types of data, we seek out three types of individuals:
a) Informants: Informants are individuals who have access to extensive information in one or multiple areas of interest. They are skilled connectors who can gather information from various sources. Having a network of informants indicates their credibility, leading people to trust them more. Despite having access to search engines like Google, we still rely on informants because valuable information often resides within people’s minds.
b) Mavens: Mavens are experts in specific fields of knowledge or practices, such as professors, gurus, or coaches. They epitomize expertise in their respective areas of specialization, and we turn to them to gain knowledge. In the digital age, connecting with mavens often involves watching their YouTube videos or reading their articles and books.
c) Sages: Sages are individuals who demonstrate expertise across seemingly unrelated areas of specialization. They have the ability to connect the dots or distill complex concepts into simpler truths. We seek wisdom from sages by reading their books or listening to their aphorisms, enriching our lives and finding answers to profound questions or challenges within our minds. Many sages were once mavens, but achieving sage status also requires a deliberate effort to adopt a broader perspective and understand the larger context. Wisdom can manifest as abstract ideas or actionable insights, representing the highest level on the data ladder.
Curiosity remains a driving force, and you have the opportunity to express and share what you learn through any of the three roles mentioned above. Make a conscious decision to embrace one of them.
