Comments on: Circles of knowledge and boundaries of ignorance http://www.mcgeesmusings.net/2006/08/29/circles-of-knowledge-and-boundaries-of-ignorance/ "The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity." - Dorothy Parker Wed, 03 Mar 2010 02:16:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Andrew http://www.mcgeesmusings.net/2006/08/29/circles-of-knowledge-and-boundaries-of-ignorance/comment-page-1/#comment-102990 Andrew Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:21:03 +0000 http://www.mcgeesmusings.net/2006/08/29/circles-of-knowledge-and-boundaries-of-ignorance/#comment-102990 That's well quoted by Gabe above- I think Asimov's 'that's funny' line in less polite terms would be 'oh shit'! That’s well quoted by Gabe above- I think Asimov’s ‘that’s funny’ line in less polite terms would be ‘oh shit’!

]]> By: The more you know the more you don’t know « Sit Mone’s Mosaic Thoughts http://www.mcgeesmusings.net/2006/08/29/circles-of-knowledge-and-boundaries-of-ignorance/comment-page-1/#comment-102931 The more you know the more you don’t know « Sit Mone’s Mosaic Thoughts Fri, 07 Nov 2008 08:29:18 +0000 http://www.mcgeesmusings.net/2006/08/29/circles-of-knowledge-and-boundaries-of-ignorance/#comment-102931 [...] he has decided to dig further about the philosophy and found the following article “Circles of knowledge and boundary of Ignorance” by Jim Mc Gee, a Harvard Graduate [...] [...] he has decided to dig further about the philosophy and found the following article “Circles of knowledge and boundary of Ignorance” by Jim Mc Gee, a Harvard Graduate [...]

]]> By: Mazlan http://www.mcgeesmusings.net/2006/08/29/circles-of-knowledge-and-boundaries-of-ignorance/comment-page-1/#comment-17717 Mazlan Sat, 03 Feb 2007 22:59:10 +0000 http://www.mcgeesmusings.net/2006/08/29/circles-of-knowledge-and-boundaries-of-ignorance/#comment-17717 your idea on "boundaries of ignorance" is very interesting. thanks for this article. regards, mazlan your idea on “boundaries of ignorance” is very interesting. thanks for this article.

regards,
mazlan

]]> By: Gabe Cruz http://www.mcgeesmusings.net/2006/08/29/circles-of-knowledge-and-boundaries-of-ignorance/comment-page-1/#comment-3971 Gabe Cruz Thu, 19 Oct 2006 23:42:18 +0000 http://www.mcgeesmusings.net/2006/08/29/circles-of-knowledge-and-boundaries-of-ignorance/#comment-3971 "The more things I learned, the more things I became aware of that I didnt know." I said to myself, "Look, I am better educated than any of the kings before me in Jerusalem. I have greater wisdom and knowledge." So I worked hard to be wise instead of foolish-- but now I realize that even this was like chasing the wind. For the more my wisdom, the more my grief; to increase knowledge only increases distress. Ecclesiastes 1:16 “The more things I learned, the more things I became aware of that I didnt know.”

I said to myself, “Look, I am better educated than any of the kings before me in Jerusalem. I have greater wisdom and knowledge.” So I worked hard to be wise instead of foolish– but now I realize that even this was like chasing the wind. For the more my wisdom, the more my grief; to increase knowledge only increases distress.

Ecclesiastes 1:16

]]> By: Ian Welsh http://www.mcgeesmusings.net/2006/08/29/circles-of-knowledge-and-boundaries-of-ignorance/comment-page-1/#comment-3522 Ian Welsh Tue, 10 Oct 2006 18:45:11 +0000 http://www.mcgeesmusings.net/2006/08/29/circles-of-knowledge-and-boundaries-of-ignorance/#comment-3522 I describe the circles as follows: 1) What you know. (you can make connections between this stuff) 2) What you know you don't know (this is the stuff you can look up) 3) What you don't know you don't know (you can't look this stuff up) Increasing either 1 or 2 is useful. The old saw about education is that the more you know, the more you know you don't know. That's progress on two fronts. :) I describe the circles as follows:

1) What you know. (you can make connections between this stuff)
2) What you know you don’t know (this is the stuff you can look up)
3) What you don’t know you don’t know (you can’t look this stuff up)

Increasing either 1 or 2 is useful. The old saw about education is that the more you know, the more you know you don’t know.

That’s progress on two fronts. :)

]]> By: Judy O'Connell http://www.mcgeesmusings.net/2006/08/29/circles-of-knowledge-and-boundaries-of-ignorance/comment-page-1/#comment-1909 Judy O'Connell Mon, 04 Sep 2006 21:58:34 +0000 http://www.mcgeesmusings.net/2006/08/29/circles-of-knowledge-and-boundaries-of-ignorance/#comment-1909 "That's funny" is SO true! and the rest of your post is just a really neat articulation of the various layers of learning - too often forgotten by teachers or those involved in some education enterprise. Your graphics are also a strong visual tool - very useful. I like that you have included the tacit level of knowing - once again, this is not often articulated in such a succinct way. Top job! Thanks. ;-) “That’s funny” is SO true! and the rest of your post is just a really neat articulation of the various layers of learning – too often forgotten by teachers or those involved in some education enterprise. Your graphics are also a strong visual tool – very useful. I like that you have included the tacit level of knowing – once again, this is not often articulated in such a succinct way. Top job! Thanks. ;-)

]]> By: Matthew Cornell http://www.mcgeesmusings.net/2006/08/29/circles-of-knowledge-and-boundaries-of-ignorance/comment-page-1/#comment-1871 Matthew Cornell Sun, 03 Sep 2006 19:10:43 +0000 http://www.mcgeesmusings.net/2006/08/29/circles-of-knowledge-and-boundaries-of-ignorance/#comment-1871 Very nice. I like the idea of a) being *aware* of my boundaries, and b) that they're dynamic by dint of my reassessment of what my knowledge is. In addition, my first thought was that the exciting/meaty work is on the periphery (i.e., changing the boundary), but... Thanks! Very nice. I like the idea of a) being *aware* of my boundaries, and b) that they’re dynamic by dint of my reassessment of what my knowledge is.

In addition, my first thought was that the exciting/meaty work is on the periphery (i.e., changing the boundary), but…

Thanks!

]]> By: lightkeeper54.com » Blog Archive » Circles of knowledge and boundaries of ignorance http://www.mcgeesmusings.net/2006/08/29/circles-of-knowledge-and-boundaries-of-ignorance/comment-page-1/#comment-1724 lightkeeper54.com » Blog Archive » Circles of knowledge and boundaries of ignorance Wed, 30 Aug 2006 14:47:45 +0000 http://www.mcgeesmusings.net/2006/08/29/circles-of-knowledge-and-boundaries-of-ignorance/#comment-1724 [...] McGees Musings Circles of knowledge and boundaries of ignorance Monitoring your curiosity consists of becoming aware of terms, tools, topics, and techniques that you are encountering in your environment, yet are not part of your current knowledge and skills. As these become visible to you, the next step is to cluster and chunk that material into a learning agenda; a sequence of topics ranging from the nearly familiar to the barely recognized.   [link] [...] [...] McGees Musings Circles of knowledge and boundaries of ignorance Monitoring your curiosity consists of becoming aware of terms, tools, topics, and techniques that you are encountering in your environment, yet are not part of your current knowledge and skills. As these become visible to you, the next step is to cluster and chunk that material into a learning agenda; a sequence of topics ranging from the nearly familiar to the barely recognized.   [link] [...]

]]> By: John Sviokla http://www.mcgeesmusings.net/2006/08/29/circles-of-knowledge-and-boundaries-of-ignorance/comment-page-1/#comment-1713 John Sviokla Wed, 30 Aug 2006 10:18:19 +0000 http://www.mcgeesmusings.net/2006/08/29/circles-of-knowledge-and-boundaries-of-ignorance/#comment-1713 Jim, I like the boundaries of knowledge argument, and the visual dipictions of my knowledge space are fun. Given that knowledge is socially constructed, I think schools generally teach what is "known", and rarely teach how to debug human thinking, or give you the emotional where with all to deal with the difficulties of truly thinking on your own. If you think of your "spaces" are geographies, I think the challenge is that most people have very little navigation equipment (e.g. their knowledge of science is small), and their maps (e.g. content with which they are familiar) are limited. Furthermore, in any knoweldge space, there are the few great guides who only mark trees with a special mark -- and following their trail is most risky. The popularity of Freakonimics is one example of how little reasoning most people really do. As William James said, many people mistake rearranging their prejudices for thinking. Jim,

I like the boundaries of knowledge argument, and the visual dipictions of my knowledge space are fun.

Given that knowledge is socially constructed, I think schools generally teach what is “known”, and rarely teach how to debug human thinking, or give you the emotional where with all to deal with the difficulties of truly thinking on your own.

If you think of your “spaces” are geographies, I think the challenge is that most people have very little navigation equipment (e.g. their knowledge of science is small), and their maps (e.g. content with which they are familiar) are limited. Furthermore, in any knoweldge space, there are the few great guides who only mark trees with a special mark — and following their trail is most risky.

The popularity of Freakonimics is one example of how little reasoning most people really do. As William James said, many people mistake rearranging their prejudices for thinking.

]]> By: Mishkin Berteig http://www.mcgeesmusings.net/2006/08/29/circles-of-knowledge-and-boundaries-of-ignorance/comment-page-1/#comment-1711 Mishkin Berteig Wed, 30 Aug 2006 03:33:53 +0000 http://www.mcgeesmusings.net/2006/08/29/circles-of-knowledge-and-boundaries-of-ignorance/#comment-1711 This is a fabulous insight. I really enjoyed the way you have described the boundaries of knowledge and ignorance. I'm particularly excited by the "rough edge" that describes a person who is becoming more and more specialized in their knowledge. My father, brother and I frequently discuss learning and knowledge. You may be interested in some of their ideas: <a href="http://www.fashionerfilms.com/01writing/01writingfiles/01wf_essays/Faculties.htm" title="The Self-Educative, Narrative and Metaphorical Faculties of the Soul" rel="nofollow">The Self-Educative, Narrative and Metaphorical Faculties of the Soul</a> - my brother, Alexei Berteig wrote this. <a href="http://www.agileadvice.com/archives/2006/04/follow_the_prin.html" title="Follow the Principles, Adjust the Practices" rel="nofollow">Follow the Principle, Adjust the Practices</a> - note the "learning circle" which comes from my dad's work as an arts educator. This is a fabulous insight. I really enjoyed the way you have described the boundaries of knowledge and ignorance. I’m particularly excited by the “rough edge” that describes a person who is becoming more and more specialized in their knowledge. My father, brother and I frequently discuss learning and knowledge. You may be interested in some of their ideas:

The Self-Educative, Narrative and Metaphorical Faculties of the Soul – my brother, Alexei Berteig wrote this.

Follow the Principle, Adjust the Practices – note the “learning circle” which comes from my dad’s work as an arts educator.

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