Wednesday, 28 September 2011

How to Be Knowledgeable

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

There are no secret tricks, or magic methods to becoming knowledgeable. Knowledge is the accumulation of facts, information, skills, and the ability to recall and use these resources. Here are some suggestions on increasing your own mental wealth of information.

Steps

  1. Use your time with learning in mind. An hour spent on a computer may expand your knowledge of an online game, or allow you to experience cultures and events which otherwise you might not know existed.
  2. Visit the library. It may seem like an outdated notion, but libraries are a tremendous source of knowledge, and provide an atmosphere which should be conducive to study and learning.
  3. Keep an open mind. When you are convinced you know something, and allow preconceived notions to block your ability to view ideas or topics in a fresh light, you limit your ability to learn. If great scientists had not questioned conventional knowledge, we would still live in a flat world at the center of the universe.
  4. Talk to people who are versed in a variety of topics. This might mean a computer geek at school, if you want to learn about computers, or a person you have randomly met who has credentials in a subject that interests you.
  5. Ask questions, then listen to the answer. If you are in doubt, keep mental notes, and check other sources. There are people who will "create" facts to impress you, or to "pull your leg".
  6. Think about unconventional ideas and information. One day when the very oldest people have passed on, a vast universe of knowledge will be lost with them. In the south, the "arts" of making moonshine, home remedies, and folklore form a rich heritage that has been passed along on front porches for generations, but the lure of modern technology and social activities has preempted these forums.
  7. Study the world from your own unique perspective. If you only study one small area of this planet, or one tiny vein of information, you have an opportunity to be the one who makes an exciting new discovery to add to mankind's store of knowledge.
  8. Get out of your own comfort zone. Learn about things that might not be your keenest interest. You may find new hobbies and interests you never dreamed of.
  9. Keep journals or notes of interesting facts to expand upon them or refresh your memory of them. When you feel you have hit the tip of an iceberg of facts and information, dive into the subject and learn all you can.
  10. Look at a broad spectrum of information. Being knowledgeable is having a reasonable grasp of a subject, but concentrating on one subject will limit time for broadening your knowledge base.
  11. Spend time in front of the television at educational channels, or specialized channels that interest you, like Animal Planet, Discovery Channel, or home improvement, craft, or cooking channels. These often have the most current information on an almost endless assortment of topics.
  12. Choose hobbies, and suggest that family and friends give you holiday and birthday gifts with educational value. Not only will you tend to learn from these, but often they offer many more hours of enjoyment than a new tie for Father's Day, or a pair of socks and a sweater for Christmas.
  13. Look at the world around you every day with a critical, and observant eye. You will learn street names, weather indicators, and human quirks and nuances by observation.
  14. Experiment. Try something new for a snack, ethnic foods, for example. It is difficult to "learn" pasta or tacos without experiencing them.
  15. Read the newspaper, magazines, and periodicals. The notion you can memorize the encyclopedia is not practical, and much of the "knowledge" it contains is archaic, outdated, or irrelevant to your own circumstances and situation, but it can be a good place to start if you have become interested in a new subject.

Tips

  • Keep notes of new discoveries.
  • Try to observe with an open mind and a unique perspective.
  • Listen more than you talk. It is a simple choice, your information out, or someone else's information in.
  • Don't believe everything you hear.
  • Learn something every day, and recognise the accomplishment.
  • Use the wikihow website to learn how to do amazing things and gain lots of useful information.
  • Many university courses post their syllabi online. By buying or checking out the books used in a class of interest, even non-students can keep up with current intellectual trends and continue their education virtually for free.
  • Knowing a lot about one thing doesn't exempt you from knowing a little about everything else.

Warnings

  • You should balance your life in your pursuit of knowledge, and take time for simple recreation, excercise, and family.
  • If you must take advice on your pursuit of knowledge from the internet, bear in mind what a dubious source of advice it is. Imagine the fine books you could be reading instead of consulting websites.

Related wikiHows

Sources and Citations

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Be Knowledgeable. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

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