K is for Knowledge

Do you ever get confused in the usage of the words: data, information, knowledge and wisdom?  They are often used interchangeably although they do not have the same meanings.

There is much scholarly discourse written about the differences, the nuances, and the transitions between them.  Therefore, I will just give you a very brief definition as I understand them:

Data is the raw facts, it is unprocessed information.  Information is processed data, it "informs" us in our decision making.  This is simply illustrated by our friendly weather man every day, the meteorologists collect data in the form of the temperature, humidity, etc.  This data is processed into a weather report that "informs" the audience.  We use that information to decide if we should carry our umbrella or if we really want to go camping this weekend.

Knowledge is everything we "know" - it is individual, personal, and hard to transfer.  It is our collection of memories, beliefs, experiences, facts and information.  It is how we "know" how to do things or how to respond in situations.  We create knowledge by accumulating information.  Wisdom goes beyond knowledge and has a moral or philosophical component, wisdom requires discernment or judgement.

How do you define the differences?

"Information is not knowledge."
~Albert Einstein