A process to integrate knowledge

why this matters in systems practice

without integration, knowledge cannot become wisdom.

knowledge is awareness and understanding that we derive from study, experience, or perception. it comes from diverse disciplines and ways of knowing, not just intellectual knowledge. with the inclusion of knowledge from perception, we also recognise the subjectivity of our knowing.

integration is the process by which new knowledge is considered alongside what we already hold and then reassembled into a new and larger whole. with conscious attention in this process we enable more active and meaningful wisdom to emerge.

wisdom is practical application, where knowledge is considered against our context's nuance, tradeoffs, and uncertainty. it is our ability to ethically discern what and how our knowledge can be applied, where knowledge is not just possessed but embodied. in systems that are complex, where uncertainty is high, this is persistent and fundamental work.

the last element of knowledge, integration, and wisdom is that it is an active practice. we must be in pursuit of new knowledge, bring conscious attention and energy to integration, and apply our wisdom in order to surface new knowledge through experience. as always, a learning loop.

what this activity invites

an opportunity to take a learning, concept, or idea you have encountered through study or experience, and through a process of knowledge integration, make it accessible and applicable to your practice.

the activity includes three key components, they are practices to return to repeatedly. you can take a topic through them once, then return weeks or months later and find new insights emerging.

work in whatever mode supports the integration: writing, mapping, modelling, sketching. the response space on this page is open by design.