#41 - Two Types of Knowledge

and, which to prioritise

Information Overload

There’s more information in the world today than ever before.

Tomorrow there will be even more than today.

The day after that…you get it.

Here are some numbers to emphasise the point:

• It would take you 82 years to watch everything uploaded to YouTube today

• 6,000 tweets are sent every second

• In the time it will take you to read this bullet point, 16 million emails will be sent

• The amount of data stored worldwide is around 97 zettabytes. (A zettabyte is a billion terabytes)

All of this information is created to be consumed by someone. A lot of it is created to be consumed by you.

Let’s term consumed information as “knowledge.” That is a lot of knowledge and potential knowledge out there. 

This information availability can be overwhelming. It’s natural to wonder how you’re meant to keep up with such an immense amount of information and potential knowledge. Especially when algorithms have worked out how to feed an endless cascade of information targeted directly to you based on your personal interests.

Plenty of solutions to this have been written about.

One of my favourites is from Oliver Burkeman. His newest book, Meditations for Mortals, has a short chapter dedicated to “too much information.” In it, he shares advice for navigating a world of infinite information::

Treat your to-read pile like a river, not a bucket. That is to say: think of your backlog not as a container that gradually fills up, and that it’s your job to empty, but as a stream that flows past you, from which you get to pick a few choice items, here and there, without feeling guilty for letting all the others float by.

That’s good advice and an even better metaphor.

But it doesn’t help us determine what information - or potential knowledge - to pick out of the river. How do we make sense of it all with so much information flowing past us? 

What should we focus on, and what should we let float by?

I have an idea.

What does the vast majority of information produced today have in common?

Low-quality bait produced only to generate clicks, attention and advertising revenue?

Close.

Expiring vs Permanent Knowledge

Much of the information we are bombarded with is expiring information. It is content that is relevant for a week, a day, even just a few moments.

Think of the latest viral meme or breaking news headline. While these pieces of information may feel important, they are quickly replaced by something else.

Consumption and processing of expiring information generates expiring knowledge.

Expiring information and knowledge has a finite shelf-life. How much of what you read will you care about or even remember in a year? A month? Tomorrow? The answer is likely, barely any.

The news and media cycle is dominated by expiring information.

He said she said. Even if we're talking about the US presidential candidates, most of this will be irrelevant in a few days. 

Even 'high-quality' media specialises in expiring information. This week's edition of The Economist features stories on Donald Trump, Oil Prices, the Chagos Islands, and Hurricane Milton.

These are all big news stories and important topics. But understanding everything you can about these things would still result in expiring knowledge.

The opposite of expiring knowledge is permanent knowledge.

This type of knowledge remains valid and relevant indefinitely.

Whether you're 18 or 80, developing emotional intelligence, learning how to look after your heart, understanding the power of compound interest, or learning lessons from historical events can be powerful and relevant in perpetuity.

Other examples of permanent knowledge could include understanding human psychology, learning first aid or a unique party trick.

My advice is to optimise for permanent information and permanent knowledge.

That is not to say that there is no room for expiring knowledge. In fact it is quite the opposite.

In general, the majority of knowledge that will be most useful is expiring knowledge.

At work, we need to hit next quarter's numbers, so we need to dive into up-to-date information that will be irrelevant next quarter. At home, we need to keep on top of the latest family happenings. In social settings, we find common ground through yesterday's football, even though there is another game in a few days.

These are moments where expiring knowledge matters. Picking choice items from the stream of expiring information keeps us relevant and personable.

But skimming fewer tweets and spending more time reading timeless books is one way to optimise the information you consume and the knowledge you build in the long run. 

When seeking information, generating a bias toward permanent knowledge will help you develop frameworks and filters for your life. It will also give you topics of interesting conversation that could be applied in a broader range of settings.

Permanent Conversations

We can apply this lens to conversations, too.

How many conversations do we have that are expiring knowledge conversations?

How many conversations will we have this week that we will remember in a year? A month? Tomorrow? The answer is likely, barely any.

Not every conversation can be existential or profound. But again, optimising for conversations about permanent topics rather than expiring ones is a bias I'm seeking to generate where I can. 

Conclusion & The LAST test

In a world of ever more information and opinion, we risk drowning the timeless in an ocean of noise.

Not all noise is bad, but if you are faced with the choice, seek more permanent knowledge.

How do we determine what information is permanent?

Try using the LAST test:

• Longevity - will this information still be relevant in 10 years?

• Applicability - can this knowledge be applied across different situations?

• Significance - does this information include fundamental principles or concepts?

• Timeliness - has this knowledge remained true throughout history?

This framework will help you determine whether information is expiring or permanent.

Breaking news about Trump’s latest rally appearance? Possibly none of these things.

A thoughtful Substack post on how to optimise your information consumption for the long run? Passes the LAST test with flying colours.

Or, you could simply ask yourself when reading, “Will I care about this in a year’s time?”

Obviously, as you are reading this, the answer is yes.

Optimise for more of that.

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Here is some expiring information I consumed this week…

What I watched this week

This weekend, I signed up to my first Ironman. I’m sure I’ll have lots to say about this over the next year or so, but here was the video that made me hit the button. Look at that atmosphere! I’m now studying everything

Brittany Vermeer

has ever written.

What I read this week

I enjoyed this post by fellow Substacker

Jeff Sullivan

‘Why I Am So Happy”

A nice use of the Don Draper quote - “what is happiness? It’s the moment before you need more happiness.” I was ‘happy’ to see that I share many of Jeff’s beliefs, while learning a few new nuggets that I’m excited to try.

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Thanks for reading, see you next week ✌🏻❤️