Blog Post #2: Facts vs. Insights
What are facts and what are insights? How do these two terms differ?
When wondering how two words differ, I find it good to look up the definition from Merriam-Webster’s dictionary. The dictionary defines fact as an objective truth, something that has an actual existence and reality. Insight, however, is defined as “the power or act of seeing into a situation.”
Upon learning the dictionary definition of these words, I had a better understanding of how these words both relate and differ from one another. The biggest difference between the two words is that a fact is objective while an insight is subjective. Facts can be proven, while insights cannot. Insights may display patterns or interpretations of facts, but could differ among individuals. Facts are written in stone.
The above image displays a fact, "The surface of the sun is around 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit." Regardless of what website an individual uses, the information regarding the temperature of the surface of the sun should always say 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit. To prove this, I googled "What is the temperature of the surface of the sun?" and clicked on the first reputable website shown. Nasa provides more information on the temperature of the sun and other planets, however the website does state the surface temperature to be 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
An insight relating to this fact could have to do with how hot or cold this temperature is in relation to similar objects. When learning that the Sun’s core is 27 million degrees Fahrenheit, one could make the insight that the surface is cold in comparison to the core. However, the temperature of Earth’s surface is 59 degrees Fahrenheit which could allow one to make the insight that the surface of the Sun is extremely hotter than Earth’s. Based on facts presented to the individual, they may assume differently on whether the Sun’s surface is hot or cold comparatively.
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