When we come across information, we mistakenly think we have learned something new. However, we just learned that that specific piece of information exists. We didn’t learn what that information tells us. To understand the information, we have to actively think about it and apply it if it’s applicable. When we read a newspaper, it increases our information level but rarely changes our understanding of anything. Reading for understanding requires being ignorant or having a little bit of information about a topic. It demands active engagement with the topic. It’s where most people stop. Once they receive information, they consider that they have learned something new. Actively engaging with the topic requires us to ask questions and try to answer them with the information we receive. Once we’re informed (read/watched/listened to a piece of information), we need to take these extra steps to understand it. Once we do, we become enlightened. To differentiate between an informed and enlightened state, consider yourself in a classroom where a teacher is explaining one topic. When learning by instruction (that’s what the teacher does), we’re only informed. We need to take the next step and learn by discovery: that’s when we try answering questions that come after instructions and solving problems that the teacher has asked.
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- Source(s): How to Read A Book Book
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