There are at least two kinds of essential knowledge people can have about any given topic — first-hand and second-hand knowledge. It’s crucial to understand how these two kinds of knowledge complement each other, how they’re different, and how both types are integral to grasping a new idea or perspective.

When you experience something yourself, you can be said to have gained first-hand knowledge of that thing. It doesn’t mean you have a total understanding of it, but your lived experience has taught you something about it that you couldn’t quite learn any other way.

Have you ever had a loved one pass away? There’s no more painful experience, but if so, you can imagine the difference between reading about what it’s like when a loved one dies and experiencing that sadness for yourself.

Then there’s second-hand knowledge, which refers to reading or hearing about a concept from someone else. When you read about history from a book, that’s second-hand knowledge.

Information of this nature is vitally important too because nobody can experience everything themselves! The only way to learn about some things is through the account of other people.

First-Hand vs. Second-Hand Knowledge in Modern Discourse

What do these types of knowledge have to do with developing the skills to learn about new concepts or perspectives? A lot, actually! There are all kinds of topics in today’s social and political discourse that would be better understood if more people were armed with an understanding of both types of knowledge—racism, depression, and misogyny, to name just a few. Can you really know about these topics if you only have second-hand information about them? Whose second-hand account are you reading?

Historically, certain groups were over-represented in industries like publishing and news. Of course, everyone should have a voice, but that’s just it—when one section of the population is disproportionately represented, it can drown out other voices.

If you are genuinely trying to understand political or social views different from your own, good for you! It’s a commendable thing to do. But the willingness to try is not the same thing as actually doing it successfully. To ensure you are getting reliable and comprehensive information, you must get a broad mix of first-hand and second-hand information from different sources.

Are You in an Informational "Silo"?

It’s important to ask yourself if you are in a “silo.” A “silo” is the informal term for an environment where people are overwhelmingly exposed to only one side of an argument and may not realize or appreciate this imbalance. Suppose you are only hearing about major political topics from people who have no first-hand experience of the issues they’re describing and who don’t consult other people who have such experience. In that case, you might be getting too limited a viewpoint.

Escaping the silo means hearing from a broad cross-section of people with first-hand experience and seeking out relevant second-hand information that meets high journalistic or academic standards and rigorous research methods.

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How to Broaden Your Perspective

There are some things a person cannot experience themselves. For example, a man can’t know first-hand what it’s like to be a woman. A white person can’t know first-hand what it’s like to be Black. In other words, there are limitations to how much a person can experience first-hand.

You don’t necessarily need to have first-hand experience to have a broad understanding of many of today’s important political and social topics, but it helps. In the way you can’t truly know what it feels like to grieve unless you’ve experienced it, you might be able to wrap your head around a concept, but you won’t know it the way someone who has lived it does.

If you have no first-hand experience of a particular topic yourself, you should actively seek out people who do. This can be done through various media.

Seeking Diverse Voices

Talk shows, for example, can be devoted to having difficult conversations about contentious topics. Shows like Red Table Talk, which features three generations of Black women, can expose people to arguments, perspectives, and opinions they may not have heard before.

Diverse representation matters because people from different races, classes, genders, and sexualities all have different perspectives. Historically, representation in public forums was limited to who had power, so many voices were excluded from the conversation. This exclusion is still going on today. Ensuring that everybody’s voice is heard is the best way to get a comprehensive understanding of a new topic.

Understanding the Media Landscape

Reading is another crucial way to get a broad range of opinions. Before you launch into the media world, take a moment to acquaint yourself with the kinds of articles out there. A critical reading approach can be valuable when a person shines a light on an important topic by connecting it to their own first-hand experience. These articles are supposed to be a personal story or a single person’s perspective.

Other articles are strictly reporting, where the writer sticks to the facts as impartially as they can. This type of article may reach the same conclusion as an opinion piece, but it will arrive there by a different road. For example, a writer might cover a topic by sharing their personal experience of being repeatedly stopped by police. Another writer might tackle the same topic by stitching together studies on the practice from different cities over the years to see how trends have changed. Both first-hand and second-hand information are invaluable to a full understanding of a new topic.

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Conclusion

In an age of misinformation, disinformation, and over-stimulation, it’s easy to understand why people are exhausted by news and current events. Still, it’s essential to have the skills to understand the world around you. Learning to categorise, balance, and critically assess the information you come across is an essential skill. By actively seeking out a mix of both first-hand accounts and well-researched second-hand information, you can break free from informational silos, understand new concepts, and truly broaden your mind.

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