Deep and Shallow Knowledge

fakeson
fakeson
Nov 2 · 3 min read

I would say that most knowledge fits one of two categories: Deep and shallow.

What am I talking about?

Deep knowledge constitues theoretical, abstract concepts. Some of them help us explain the world around us (science), while others help us understand ourselves (psychology, philosophy, religion). The one commonality to all deep knowledge is that it’s not immediately useful once acquired.

On the other hand, shallow knowledge is practical crafts: Applied skills that can be put to use towards a tangible goal: Examples: Wood craving, web development, etc. Craftsy things.

How do we tell deep from shallow knowledge?

Deep knowledge stands the test of time.

In the beginning of the 19th century, wars were fought with muskets, cannons and horses. In 2019, wars are fought with tanks, planes, drones and missiles. Knowing how to ride a horse or drive a tank would fall into the definition of shallow knowledge. On the other hand, command, leadership, bravery, inspiring men, are timeless concepts that are just as useful today as they were in the 19th century. Thus, they are deep knowledge.

Deep knowledge is illusive and its benefits are initially hidden, while shallow knowledge tends to be immediately useful.

While we can thank physics for all of the wonderful technology that we have at our fingertips, when a new discovery is made in physics it is initially never obvious to us as to how it can be useful. More often than not, it never is. But sometimes we eventually find a way to leverage a discovery into technology.

Which is more important, deep or shallow knowledge?

Both are important.

Deep knowledge improves our ability to think conceptually and generalize. It helps us connect between concepts that seem unrelated at first, but end up intertwined on a deeper level that most people don’t see. It helps us be original, inventive and discover new things about the world around us.

Shallow knowledge helps us do immediately practical things: Make things (furniture, websites), sell things (sales, entrepreneurship), make money (by making and selling things). This is why shallow knowledge is so alluring — you can quickly use it to your benefit.

What are some common fields of “deep” knowledge?

  • Philosophy
  • Physics
  • Mathematics
  • Languages

That last point is particularly important, because deep knowledge is synonymous with languages. Why? Language helps us do three things:

  • Form ideas and concepts in our heads
  • Communicate these concepts to others
  • But the biggest thing languages allow us is a to have a mental framework through which we can grasp and understand the world. Think about it: If you didn’t know any language you would not be able to think about abstract concepts at all. Thus I would say that almost all deep knowledge is in a sense a language: An abstract framework of thought through which we can see and interpret the world. Philosophy, physics, math — They all fit this description.

People lack an understanding of why both types of knowledge are important.

To “succeed” in life, it’s a good idea to have a healthy mix of both types of knowledge in your arsenal. What actually happens in most cases is that people tend to prioritize one type of knowledge over the other.

  • College educated folks tend to overemphasize deep knowledge, but end up lacking shallow skills to make a practical impact on the world.
  • People who opt to skip college (not due to socio-economic reasons) tend to overemphasize things like “enterpreneurship” or learn purely practical skills like web coding through bootcamps — only to end up lacking the theoretical framework to make truly meaningful contributions to the field.

What I suggest is to become a generalist, and have a mix of deep and shallow knowledge. Not only will you be able to make more interesting things, you will become more interesting as a person and have a more interesting life.

A seeker of truth

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