An apology offered and, equally important, received is a step towards reconciliation and, sometimes, recompense. Without that process, hurts can rankle and fester and erupt into their own hatreds and wrongdoings.
Margaret MacmillanRead
We mistake being able to get lots of information from everywhere very quickly with actually getting knowledge.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Access to information does not guarantee true understanding or knowledge.
In today's world, where information is abundant and easily accessible, it's important to distinguish between mere information and genuine knowledge. Margaret Macmillan emphasizes that just because we can quickly obtain a vast amount of data, it doesn't mean we have grasped or comprehended its significance, depth, or relevance. Knowledge requires discernment, context, and understanding, which goes beyond simply consuming facts or information.
Themes
InformationKnowledgeUnderstandingEducationDiscernment
In practice
Example use cases
In a classroom discussion about the importance of critical thinking, this quote can be used to highlight the difference between information and knowledge.
More from Margaret Macmillan
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War is a crucial, deeply ingrained part of human history. It has to be understood.
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There was that argument that if we had more women in positions of authority, the world would be a nicer place. And then we got Golda Meir, Margaret Thatcher, Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Indira Gandhi. When women become acclimatised to war, they can become every bit as ruthless as men.
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Theodore Roosevelt's policy to build a two-ocean navy confirmed that the old-style isolationism of the founders had not survived the modern, increasingly globalized world.
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If we don't take responsibility for each other, it seems to me the future is going to be even bleaker.
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The newspaper is a greater treasure to the people than uncounted millions of gold.
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How many cities have revealed themselves to me in the marches I undertook in the pursuit of books!
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