An Important Difference Between Knowledge and Learning

by | Nov 25, 2020 | Action, Activity, Personal Investment

difference between knowledge and learning

And Why Learning Is What You Need

It wasn’t until I understood the difference between knowledge and learning that I finally got unstuck.

I have loved acquiring knowledge for my entire 50 years. I’ve always been naturally curious; read books; like museums, school, and trivia; and love to figure out how stuff works. My main work is software development and engineering.

What I’ve learned, however, is that all of the knowledge that I’ve acquired doesn’t necessarily help me accomplish any goals. Maybe it helps during dinner conversation or at a cocktail party, but knowledge isn’t what helps you become successful.

Here I discuss the important difference between learning and knowledge and why learning is what you need.

Definitions

Before moving on, let’s look at the formal definitions of each (from dictionary.com).

knowledge: noun

  1. acquaintance with facts, truths, or principles, as from study or investigation; general erudition: knowledge of many things. 
  2. familiarity or conversance, as with a particular subject or branch of learning: A knowledge of accounting was necessary for the job.
  3. the fact or state of knowing; the perception of fact or truth; clear and certain mental apprehension.
  4. awareness, as of a fact or circumstance: He had knowledge of her good fortune.

 learning: noun 

  1. knowledge acquired by systematic study in any field of scholarly application.
  2. the act or process of acquiring knowledge or skill.
  3. the modification of behavior through practice, training, or experience.

The Real Difference Between Knowledge and Learning and Why It Matters

On the surface, the definitions are similar. A keen observer, however, can spot the real difference. Consider the 3rd definition for learning:

“modification of behavior through practice, training, or experience”

Therein lies the real difference between knowledge and learning. It’s all about action and application.  

Here’s what coach Don Shula says about learning in his book “Everybody’s a Coach“:

Learning is defined as a change in behavior. You haven’t learned a thing until you can take action and use it.

Don Shula

Here’s what personal development teacher and leader Jim Rohn has to say about the subject:

Don’t let your learning lead to knowledge, let it lead to action.

Jim Rohn

The difference between knowledge and learning is action.

I’ve been gaining knowledge all of my life, but this knowledge wasn’t helping me attain goals because I wasn’t doing anything. Talking a good game and playing a good game is not the same thing. Maybe I could talk a good game, but I wasn’t on the ice with my skates and stick.  

Don Shula may have studied opposing offenses and defenses, but it was his time implementing schemes and instructing the guys on the practice field that mattered on Sunday.

Jim Rohn may have read 1000 books about how to maximize his potential, but it was his time calling clients and speaking on stage that made him the guru he was. 

Michael Jordan may have spent hours watching basketball, but it was his time in the gym taking shots that mattered at the end of the game.

Tiger Woods may be a student of golf, but it was his time on the driving range and putting green that mattered on the tie-breaking putt.

My Own Journey of Learning in Software

I mentioned that my main work is as a software developer. I’ve never been formally trained by an accredited institution in software. My schooling is in Electrical Engineering. I have 2 degrees in EE (some coursework did require programming), but I’ve made my living developing software and leading teams of developers for over 20 years now. 

The transition from EE work to software work just happened naturally because of the learning I had been accumulating.

I started learning programming on my own when I was in 4th grade on a TRS-80. I made little BASIC programs that were calculators, and word games, or solved specific problems. I continued through school, college, and into my professional life. It was always something I did, but never something I studied via formal coursework. 

When I became an adult and entered the corporate world as an engineer, I gravitated towards tasks and work that required some software development. I only considered it an ancillary part of the work I was doing. Until one day, it was the main thing. This never could have happened if I hadn’t put my time in programming, rather than taking courses.  

My Own Journey of Learning in Writing and Elsewhere

This and all of the other articles on this blog are a testament to my journey of learning. I’m not a Pulitzer prize-winning writer, but I am a writer. If I keep writing, I will learn to get better.  

Here are a few articles as some examples where I started taking action in other areas:

Go Out and Learn

If your goal is to make interesting conversation at a dinner party, then knowledge may be all you need. But you can’t accomplish anything through knowledge alone. Goals can only be attained through action.  

The actions you take lead to learning.    

True learning happens when you couple those actions with experimentation. Try something, see the results, adjust, and try again.  

Rather than surfing the internet gaining useless knowledge, go out and learn some stuff.

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