中文版本在这里。
Throughout the course of human history, information has been an indispensable force that ranks alongside water, air, and food as one of the fundamental pillars of civilization’s development.
The allure of information is not only in its practicality but also in its intimate connection with our inherent drive to explore the unknown.
This human thirst for information appears to be a natural talent. With information, our ancestors from ancient times learned to forage, avoid risks, and learn from the experiences of others. Under the guidance of information, humans have continuously deepened their self-awareness and constructed a map of their relationships with the world.
As time progresses, information condenses into knowledge, granting humans deeper insights into, and greater control over, their lives.
Tom White in Curation as a Cure states:
I am an information junkie.
From reading myriad newsletters to scribbling countless notes, finishing a book every two weeks to zipping through podcasts at 2x speed, I increase the quantity/quality of my inputs to improve my outputs. There’s nothing I enjoy more than sharpening my thinking by challenging my preconceived notions and rudimentary theses.
I regard knowledge as an immense privilege. This deep respect for wisdom was instilled in me from a young age. A beloved quote from my late grandfather, John T. Landers, reads: “Education is the lightest burden you will ever carry.” This belief has been my intellectual guiding star for as long as I can remember.
Human society, culture, and language have been constructed and developed through the exchange and sharing of information. Society is a collective made up of individuals, and its strength stems from the unity among members and the free flow of knowledge. Culture is a set of rules for living that requires individuals to continually explore and experiment, sharing their findings with others. Language, as a tool for exchanging ideas and sharing knowledge, is an essential part of societal and cultural development. Through language, people transmit and receive information, thus facilitating the accumulation of knowledge and societal progress.
Advancements in technology and changes in the external environment are propelling the evolution of society, culture, and language. For example, as society evolves, people need more sophisticated communication systems to convey a wider range of information to achieve more complex societal goals. At the same time, society and culture influence the vocabulary we use, and the language we speak in turn shapes society and culture, forming a symbiotic relationship. Social norms and practices influence how people communicate, and by studying how people converse with each other, we can infer their relationships and social standings.
Moreover, language is more than just a series of symbols or signs; it becomes a cornerstone for the transmission of culture by enabling people to share beliefs, concerns, perceptions, expectations, experiences, and knowledge. The relationship between language and culture is so intertwined that speakers of different languages might see the world in distinct ways.
Although language is in a constant state of flux, the pursuit and sharing of information are at the heart of our advancement. Through language, we transmit and receive information, promoting the accumulation of knowledge and advancement of society. This dynamic of information exchange and sharing is the driving force behind cultural evolution and societal development, laying the foundation upon which human civilization continues to advance.