Information Traction: Find It, Consume It, Apply It (Part 4 of 4)

We continue our series about information traction – a term I have adopted to better describe the cycle of how to find, consume, digest, and apply information directly to the need at hand. We all go through stages of information absorption, but often times it is our application of information that allows us avenues of survival or extinction.

Each of us make decisions in our lives, many times throughout our day. We have to make judgment calls on which way to turn, how fast to walk, when to use the restroom, and when to leave work. All of this takes evaluating many distinct data points for each and every decision.

It is the very application of the information gathered and evaluated which sets the wise apart from just being stronger or smarter.

Survival of the fittest is correct,” he said. “But we need to change the definition of “fitness” from what it meant when Darwin used it. In the modern world, “fitness” no longer refers to physical strength. From now on, it means wisdom. – Dr. Jonas Salk (cited in How to Analyze Information, 2007)

Herbert E. Meyer stated:

… two people, facing the same decision and armed with precisely the same information, will make different choices.

Is it a complex algorithm of mathematical equations, electric signals pulsing in hippocampus region of your brain, or simply that “gut feeling” you just can’t shake?

Each and everyone one of us overlay the knowledge we have acquired to our value system, varied emotional responses, and, yes, instincts about a situation. It is the precise recipe we choose that sets us apart and makes us unique.

The Strong, and the Smart, and the Wise:

Let’s say you are walking down the street and make your way to a bus stop. There you are with two other individuals. You strike up a conversation and find that one is a tri-athlete who has successfully finished the Ironman Triathlon in the top 10 for the past 5 years. The other happens to be a recent Nobel Laureate for his discovery in particle physics and the importance of broken symmetry.

As men do, bravado between the two strangers escalates, and a wager is struck. While reminding them they are both to be hailed as the strongest and smartest, respectively, you ask if their egos might be getting the better of them. Loudly, each protests that he will be the one that gets the bus to stop first.

Bold and brash, the tri-athlete brags he is strong enough to stand in the street, directly in the path of the on-coming bus, and it will stop. Not to be outdone, the Nobel Laureate determines it to be foolish to stand in the road. Rather by standing just to the left of the tri-athlete on the curb, the bus driver’s visual trajectory will allow him to be seen first, thus increasing his chances for stopping the on-coming bus while keeping him safe from harm.

As the bus approached, the bus driver is enjoying his morning cup of coffee – black with 2 sugars. Due to poorly maintained city streets, a pot hole jars the coffee from his hand – spilling hot coffee in his lap. He widely swerves hitting both men and killing them instantly – but leaving you in one piece over by the park bench where you stood.

For all of the tri-athlete’s brawn and all of the laureate’s brains, both of their egos blinded them to the harsh reality that getting the bus to stop really wasn’t that important since it would stop at is designated place – where you stood.

While endurance aids in survival, it is not how strong the body alone may be which enables us to survive. Likewise, the mind alone cannot conquer adversity. It is often those who comprehend the nuances of the situation, and can foresee possible outcomes that will survive where others succumb to extinction.

Being able to apply the information which you have gathered is extremely important in achieving forward momentum – in achieving information traction.

Read the entire series here: Information Traction: Find It, Consume It, Apply It

Ken Stewart’s blog, ChangeForge.com, focuses on the collision between the constantly changing worlds of business and technology. To learn more about Ken, visit his about page. You may also find Ken on FriendFeed, Twitter, and LinkedIn.