Tacit knowledge

Tacit knowledge is the kind of knowledge that people learn through personal experience and practice, not from reading a book or hearing a lecture.[1] It is often hard to explain with words because it is deeply connected to things we feel, sense, or do without always thinking about them. For example, knowing how to ride a bike, cook the perfect meal, or sense when a friend is upset are all forms of tacit knowledge. You might be very good at something, but not be able to clearly explain how you do it, that is what makes tacit knowledge so unique.[2] This kind of knowledge is different from explicit knowledge, which can be written down or shown in diagrams, instructions, or videos. Tacit knowledge usually cannot be shared that way. Instead, people learn it by watching others, practicing, and spending time in real situations.[3] This is why things like apprenticeships, internships, and hands-on training are so important. For example, a student learning from a chef in a kitchen or a mechanic in a garage is picking up more than just facts, they are learning techniques, timing, and judgment by doing and observing.[4]

Tacit knowledge includes both thinking and doing. It involves the brain’s ability to recognize patterns, control the body, and respond emotionally or intuitively. Scientists say this type of knowledge is stored in brain areas related to procedural memory, like the basal ganglia and cerebellum, which help us with habits, skills, and movement.[5] This is different from declarative memory, where we store facts we can say out loud, like the capital of a country or the steps in a math problem.[6] A famous thinker named Michael Polanyi once said, “We can know more than we can tell.” What he meant is that we often understand things deeply without being able to explain them fully.[1] For example, an experienced doctor might recognize a serious illness just from the way a patient looks or sounds, something that a beginner or a computer might miss. This kind of expert intuition is a powerful form of tacit knowledge.[7]

Businesses also recognize how important tacit knowledge is. It helps workers solve problems creatively, make good decisions, and handle unexpected situations without needing step-by-step instructions.[8] That is why companies encourage teamwork, mentoring, and knowledge sharing. In many workplaces, people learn best by working alongside more experienced coworkers, picking up tips and tricks that cannot be found in a manual.[9] However, passing on tacit knowledge is not easy. It often takes time, trust, and shared experience. For example, a sushi master might spend years teaching a student, not just how to cut fish, but how to feel its freshness or understand when rice is just right. These are things that cannot be described in words or taught quickly, they must be experienced.[10]

In schools, teachers try to build tacit knowledge using experiential learning. This means giving students real or hands-on situations where they have to observe, reflect, and make decisions. One popular method, called Kolb's experiential learning, includes four steps: having an experience, thinking about it, learning from it, and trying it again in a new way. This helps students grow their skills through practice, not just reading or memorizing.[11] In the world of artificial intelligence, computers still struggle to copy human tacit knowledge. Even though AI can recognize patterns or learn tasks from data, it usually does not understand situations deeply or adapt in the same way humans do.[12] For example, a robot might follow a recipe, but it may not know how to adjust if an ingredient is missing or how to judge taste or texture like a human chef.[13]

Tacit knowledge is also important for passing down traditions, customs, and values within a culture. People learn how to behave, celebrate, and show respect mostly by watching others and being part of a group, not by reading about it.[14] That is why fields like anthropology often require researchers to live within the communities they study, so they can understand these practices from the inside.[15] Unfortunately, tacit knowledge can be lost. As machines take over certain jobs, or as skilled workers retire without teaching others, special techniques and wisdom may disappear.[16] This is especially true for traditional crafts, farming methods, or local knowledge about nature. Losing this kind of knowledge does not just affect how we work, it also affects our culture and history. That is why preserving tacit knowledge is so important for both the present and the future.[17]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Polanyi, Michael; Sen, Amartya (2009). The tacit dimension. Chicago ; London: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-67298-4.
  2. ↑ Nonaka, Ikujirō; Takeuchi, Hirotaka (1995). The knowledge-creating company: how Japanese companies create the dynamics of innovation. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-509269-1.
  3. ↑ Collins, Harry (2013). Tacit and explicit knowledge. Chicago, Ill: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-00421-1.
  4. ↑ Eraut, Michael (2000). "Non-formal learning and tacit knowledge in professional work". British Journal of Educational Psychology. 70 (1): 113–136. doi:10.1348/000709900158001. ISSN 2044-8279.
  5. ↑ Doyon, Julien; Bellec, Pierre; Amsel, Rhonda; Penhune, Virginia; Monchi, Oury; Carrier, Julie; Lehéricy, Stéphane; Benali, Habib (2009-04-12). "Contributions of the basal ganglia and functionally related brain structures to motor learning". Behavioural Brain Research. Special issue on the role of the basal ganglia in learning and memory. 199 (1): 61–75. doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2008.11.012. ISSN 0166-4328.
  6. ↑ Squire, Larry R. (2004-11-01). "Memory systems of the brain: A brief history and current perspective". Neurobiology of Learning and Memory. Multiple Memory Systems. 82 (3): 171–177. doi:10.1016/j.nlm.2004.06.005. ISSN 1074-7427.
  7. ↑ Klein, Gary (2001). Sources of power: how people make decisions (7th print ed.). Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. ISBN 978-0-262-61146-6.
  8. ↑ Davenport, Thomas H.; Prusak, Laurence (1998). Working knowledge: how organizations manage what they know. Boston, Mass: Harvard Business School Press. ISBN 978-0-87584-655-2.
  9. ↑ Brown, John Seely; Duguid, Paul (1991). "Organizational Learning and Communities-of-Practice: Toward a Unified View of Working, Learning, and Innovation". Organization Science. 2 (1): 40–57. doi:10.1287/orsc.2.1.40. ISSN 1047-7039.
  10. ↑ Nonaka, Ikujiro; von Krogh, Georg (2009). "Perspective—Tacit Knowledge and Knowledge Conversion: Controversy and Advancement in Organizational Knowledge Creation Theory". Organization Science. 20 (3): 635–652. doi:10.1287/orsc.1080.0412. ISSN 1047-7039.
  11. ↑ Kolb, David A. (1984). Experimental learning: experience as the source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs, N.J: Prentice-Hall. ISBN 978-0-13-295261-3.
  12. ↑ Boden, Margaret A. (2016). AI: its nature and future. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-877798-4.
  13. ↑ Dreyfus, Hubert L.; Dreyfus, Stuart E.; Athanasiou, Tom (1986). Mind over machine: the power of human intuition and expertise in the era of the computer. New York, N.Y: The Free Press. ISBN 978-0-02-908060-3.
  14. ↑ Lave, Jean; Wenger, Etienne (1991-09-27). "Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation". Higher Education from Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/cbo9780511815355. Retrieved 2025-07-31.
  15. ↑ Geertz, Clifford; Darnton, Robert (2017). The interpretation of cultures: selected essays. Basic book-s (3rd ed.). New York: Basic Books. ISBN 978-0-465-09355-7.
  16. ↑ Gorman, Michael E. (1998). Transforming Nature: Ethics, Invention and Discovery. New York, NY: Springer. ISBN 978-0-7923-8120-4.
  17. ↑ "Text of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage - UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage". ich.unesco.org. Retrieved 2025-07-31.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.