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It's not always good to be a knowledge sponge...

by digitalfiz
13 replies
This is my interpretation of what entails being a knowledge sponge based on my own experience as one

All my life I have been the type of person who couldn't know "just enough" to do something I had to know everything about whatever it was I was doing. I soaked up knowledge my whole life storing every tid-bit I could and learning everything I could. This is why there isn't much I can't do with PHP because I have probably read the manual more then a few times over during my years using it.

Now to explain my idea of what a sponge is and why it can be a bad thing. Think about what a sponge does really. Sure it soaks up all the liquid it can till its bursting full of water, but then what? What good is all that water if the sponge can't use it. Sure a sponge releases that water if you squeeze it but it has to be squeezed and that water goes else ware and the sponge isn't using it.

I think this can be applied to a learning sponge because what good is all that knowledge if you don't use it. I have done decently well using a portion of my knowledge but I felt until recently that I was mainly just storing all that knowledge and not using it. I feel this is the same case with a lot of sponges.

Warrior has made me feel alive again and I am absorbing so much knowledge watching and listening to the things all you great people have to say. I do plan on being an active sponge and not just a absorbent sponge

So lesson for today? Don't be a stationary sponge use that knowledge! I guess... man I gotta work on my speeches :p Consider this a test speech
#good #knowledge #sponge
  • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
    Another unfortunate characteristic of sponges is that they soak up whatever liquid they are placed in, whether it's a fine wine, pure water or raw sewage...

    If you're going to be a sponge, be careful what you soak up!
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    • Profile picture of the author ListBuildingForNewbies
      Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

      Another unfortunate characteristic of sponges is that they soak up whatever liquid they are placed in, whether it's a fine wine, pure water or raw sewage...

      If you're going to be a sponge, be careful what you soak up!
      I couldn't agree with you more Well said!
      In the world of internet you have to learn how to weed out unreliable, irrelevant and unethical (gossip etc.) information. A central issue in preparing a curriculum is deciding what type of knowledge is usable and useful for a student. Knowledge which you can't use only clutters up your brain cells with redundant information.
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      • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
        Banned
        I think being a knowledge-sponge is good for people who can distinguish accurately and reliably between information and misinformation, and between fact and opinion.
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    • Profile picture of the author oneplusone
      Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

      Another unfortunate characteristic of sponges is that they soak up whatever liquid they are placed in, whether it's a fine wine, pure water or raw sewage...

      If you're going to be a sponge, be careful what you soak up!
      Surely one of the most outstanding posts ever on the Warrior Forum
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      'If you hear a voice within you say "you cannot paint," then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.' Vincent Van Gogh.
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      • Profile picture of the author DianeBrandt
        Whether you know it or not... we all are sponges, soaking up newness every day.
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    • Profile picture of the author digitalfiz
      Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

      Another unfortunate characteristic of sponges is that they soak up whatever liquid they are placed in, whether it's a fine wine, pure water or raw sewage...

      If you're going to be a sponge, be careful what you soak up!
      Agree'd. Fortunately I have a knack for researching also so I tend to take something given to me and research it obsessively so I rarely retain much misinformation and I quickly learn to disregard sources of misinformation.

      I've been watching all this marketing stuff and it gets me very excited. A kind of excitement I haven't felt since I wrote me first PHP script way back in the day. I'm not much of a marketer on any level right now but I plan *insert IM buzzword here* and *insert another IM buzzword here* Eventually I'll know the abbreviations and buzzwords and actually understand more of what everyone is saying. I learn more and more everyday and I plan to use it!
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  • Profile picture of the author sbucciarel
    Banned
    I see nothing wrong with being a knowledge sponge if you're not soaking up sewage as John McCabe suggested. What do you mean ... you can't use it? When can't you use good knowledge? I'd rather know too much than too little.
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    • Profile picture of the author Derek_Thomas
      Originally Posted by sbucciarel View Post

      When can't you use good knowledge? I'd rather know too much than too little.
      I think maybe the idea was "knowing" something but not actually putting into practice. Learning at the expense of doing.

      James 1:22 for instance

      Derek
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  • Profile picture of the author peter.max
    Change the sponge to a filter. Absorb everything, but keep only what is worthwhile. Part of growing, I guess
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  • Profile picture of the author Dylan K
    Originally Posted by digitalfiz View Post

    This is my interpretation of what entails being a knowledge sponge based on my own experience as one

    All my life I have been the type of person who couldn't know "just enough" to do something I had to know everything about whatever it was I was doing. I soaked up knowledge my whole life storing every tid-bit I could and learning everything I could. This is why there isn't much I can't do with PHP because I have probably read the manual more then a few times over during my years using it.

    Now to explain my idea of what a sponge is and why it can be a bad thing. Think about what a sponge does really. Sure it soaks up all the liquid it can till its bursting full of water, but then what? What good is all that water if the sponge can't use it. Sure a sponge releases that water if you squeeze it but it has to be squeezed and that water goes else ware and the sponge isn't using it.

    I think this can be applied to a learning sponge because what good is all that knowledge if you don't use it. I have done decently well using a portion of my knowledge but I felt until recently that I was mainly just storing all that knowledge and not using it. I feel this is the same case with a lot of sponges.

    Warrior has made me feel alive again and I am absorbing so much knowledge watching and listening to the things all you great people have to say. I do plan on being an active sponge and not just a absorbent sponge

    So lesson for today? Don't be a stationary sponge use that knowledge! I guess... man I gotta work on my speeches :p Consider this a test speech

    Im the exact same way, Ive recently reached information overload and am taking a break from reading and watching anything about IM. Except the WF of course
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  • Profile picture of the author Paul Hancox
    Great post.

    There is, also, a major ADVANTAGE of being a "knowledge sponge".

    Eventually, once you've learned to discern the valuable knowledge from the crud, you can then become a FILTER for other people.

    A kind of "Go To" guy.

    After all, most people simply don't have the TIME to find, absorb and process the information you've absorbed.

    So leverage the time you've spent, by being The Expert, The Go-To Guy, helping to steer people in the right direction.

    In this information-overload age, being The Go-To Guy can make you a lot of money if you can genuinely save people time and help them NOT to have to go through all the information.

    Always point them in the best direction.

    Pick out the gems for them.

    Put it into your OWN information products, or in your OWN newsletter.

    Knowledge sponges are highly valued in this information-overload age.
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    • Profile picture of the author digitalfiz
      Originally Posted by Paul Hancox View Post

      Great post.

      There is, also, a major ADVANTAGE of being a "knowledge sponge".

      Eventually, once you've learned to discern the valuable knowledge from the crud, you can then become a FILTER for other people.

      A kind of "Go To" guy.

      After all, most people simply don't have the TIME to find, absorb and process the information you've absorbed.

      So leverage the time you've spent, by being The Expert, The Go-To Guy, helping to steer people in the right direction.

      In this information-overload age, being The Go-To Guy can make you a lot of money if you can genuinely save people time and help them NOT to have to go through all the information.

      Always point them in the best direction.

      Pick out the gems for them.

      Put it into your OWN information products, or in your OWN newsletter.

      Knowledge sponges are highly valued in this information-overload age.
      The go to go guy is kind of what I was implying with the squeezing the sponge part hehe I really have to work on my brain to text skills at least my coherent thought stuff anyways. I could explain the whole thing in code if needed but ask me for plain English its a struggle
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  • Profile picture of the author MatthewT
    I like the filter analogy. Of course as they say knowledge without action is useless. Make sure you act on it.
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