Knowing, learning, and deciding at home

By Jerry Ash,
Smart People magazine.

In the digital world, the knowledge factor is a lot more than a new critical success factor for the business world. It’s way bigger.

I can’t believe how smart I’ve become over the past 20 years. I’ve learned so much and when I need to know something, the very need sometimes triggers the answer unknowingly stored in the dusty corners of my mind. Same with everyone.

My wife was watching a quiz show on television one night and blurted out an answer. Then she turned to me. “I didn’t know I knew that!” she said. “And, I don’t know how I knew that!”

Well, she’s the trivia queen, but I began to notice in my own self some of the same qualities and my self-image began to rise. “Humph,” I said. “I’m much smarter than I think.”

Then I began to realize something else about my knowledge power – whenever I didn’t know something, I could find out. Just Google it. “How come the weird scoring in tennis? Like love instead of zero?” Answer: The French started it by using the word oeuf, meaning egg (as in goose egg or zero). Is that really true? I don’t know. But it’s a great story on the tennis court!

I’ve also noticed how much more I depend on the Internet for information and knowledge to help me make important decisions about things I used to leave in the hands of ‘experts’ – like medical decisions. In the old days I would go to the doctor when I didn’t feel good.

“How do you feel?”
“Not good, Doc.”

“What are your symptoms?” he would ask. In the end he would tell me what he thought I had and prescribe some pills. Faithfully, I took them.

Today, when I have an ailment, I ask myself about the symptoms and then either Google it or go to my trusted health information Web sites. By the time I get to the doctor’s office, I’m already an informed patient and we have a consult, just like two doctors. And, most importantly, I make an informed decision about my own health care!
The knowledge factor is not unique to me and it’s not peculiar to the young who have grown up digital. We use the power of knowledge in almost every aspect of human life and we do it a thousand times better than before. The consequences: dramatic changes in the patterns of human life.

Another example: It’s time to buy a new car. Before, we relied on ads and salesmen. This second largest purchase most of us make was based primarily on impulse driven mostly by someone else. Consumer Reports has filled that void for many years, but now we have so much more. We cut out the middleman by doing our own research online, coming to our own conclusions. We use blogs and discussion boards and networks to know the real skinny.

When we walk into the dealership, we cut the sales pitch short. “Tut, tut, old man. I’ll tell you what I want.” Heck, we may not even go to a dealership. I just bought my first motorcycle online!

So, there you have it. The thinking behind Smart People magazine’s living section. Enjoy, learn, improve your knowledgeability.