39 - Abstract Knowledge is information that has gone through the process of generalization to produce knowledge that is highly applicable because of its abstractness (Wozniak 2020) .
It is the type of knowledge you typically want to acquire because it is just more useful as you can apply it to a wider set of situations (e.g. General Thinking Concepts ).
40 - Generalization “is the process in which you ignore the details to reveal a deeper structure. The term overlaps with abstraction, conceptualization, inductive reasoning, modeling, theorization, categorization, conclusion, unification, colligation, de-concretization, pattern extraction, and pattern separation” (Wozniak 2020 ).
You also see this process happening with memory, where information disappears as you go from sensory memory → working/short term memory → long-term storage → retrieval …
41 - Applicability refers to the utility of a rule or model (Wozniak 2020 ), how much use you can get out of it. You create a mental model of the inside of a car such that when you get into someone elses car you are still able to drive it. You don’t get bogged down in the details and become unable to drive it because the steering wheel is a different color from yours.
In life you want to find the models that have a high applicability because what good is a model if you never use it. Exception be…
42 - Abstractness is “the universality of a concept or rule ” (Wozniak 2020) . Abstractness often tracks along side applicability because abstract knowledge has gone through generalization , which allows it to apply to a wider set of situations.
You have to be careful though because if knowledge becomes too abstract than it loses its meaning and ceases to be applicable. If I’ve removed so many details that you can’t make sense of some information then it is of no use.
43 - Concept is “a generalization of a set of objects/nouns. It overlaps with idea, entity, notion, group, etc.” (Wozniak 2020) . Concepts allow you to work with new but familiar objects because you can match them to the “prototypical example” and immediately gain information about them.
If all you’ve used in your life are kitchen table and rocking chairs, then you don’t suddenly become unable to sit when presented with a computer chair. You are able to successfully adapt to the new chair beca…
44 - Model is a “set of rules that apply to a specific phenomenon. It overlaps with theory, metaphor, opinion, schema, view, (concept) map, and more” (Wozniak 2020) .
When we take information through the process of generalization and use structure building , we create a mental model of the phenomenon. This process distills the most important parts of the model, which we can then use to carry out a task (e.g. drive a car to work) or solve a problem (e.g. got a flat tire on a car) in the future.
S…
45 - Rule is " : a generalization of an observed regularity. It overlaps with formula, theorem, principle, proposition, law, statement, and more." (Wozniak 2020) .
You use rules to get a desired outcome because they point you towards an “action → outcome” relationship that repeats. So you can rely on the rule when you make decisions or act in the world.
When you combine a set of rules you create a model , which allows you to work with a multifaceted phenomenon. See 10e1 - Food Rules.