
August 21, 2022
Information vs. Intelligence | Everyday Espionage Podcast with Andrew Bustamante
- Check out Everyday Espionage Podcast Episode Page & Show Notes
Key Takeaways
- Espionage is about taking information and finding the intelligence within
- Information and intelligence are not the same things
- Intelligence is information you are not supposed to have (factual, truthful, hidden)
- How do spies work with information?
- Validation → analysis → synthesis → application
- Information → knowledge → application → experience
- The majority of the world is doing it wrong; we are collecting information, then experiences, and then when they align we think those are facts
- “We live in a world where If you have an experience that aligns with any piece of information we are almost compelled, encouraged to draw the conclusion that that becomes a fact.” – Andrew Bustamante
- Sometimes you have to challenge your own experiences to gain real knowledge. That’s espionage.
- Cognitive bias – in the process of indexing and building information, our mind also creates automated processes in our cognitive functions that skip logical steps
- How do you separate fact from fiction? How do you find a liar?
- The reason that spies can apply this is that they recognize how the mind processes the information loop
- In-group bias – all of us want to be part of something
- This bias makes us reach conclusions based on information that allows us to feel like we belong to a group
- Belonging to a group is not innately bad, as long as we become aware of it and seek information from alternate sources
Intro
- The goal of Everyday Espionage Podcast is to show you how to find the knowledge amid the noise of information
- In this episode, former covert CIA officer Andrew Bustamante (@EverydaySpy) discusses the difference between intelligence and information and shows how you can use that knowledge to your advantage
- Host – Andrew Bustamante (@EverydaySpy)
It’s Not About Guarantees, It’s About Promises
- The first guy who started teaching Bustamante about espionage was enormous (are spies supposed to be enormous?)
- What did the “big” guy teach him?
- Espionage is not about guarantees, it’s about promises
- What promises?
- “What you are about to learn will change the way you see the world for the rest of your life.” – The Enormous Spy
- Espionage is about taking information and finding the intelligence within
- If you don’t get the intelligence, you failed
- Information and intelligence are not the same things
- You can get information anywhere (nobody is trying to hide information)
- Intelligence is information you are not supposed to have (factual, truthful, hidden, made up of secrets, etc.)
From Information to Intelligence
- How do spies work with information?
- Validation → analysis → synthesis → application
- Without application, you have nothing
- By converting information to the intelligence we learn to convert information into knowledge
- It doesn’t stop with knowledge, it’s a continuum
- By applying the knowledge you gain experience
- Information → knowledge → application → experience
- The majority of the world is doing it wrong; we are collecting information, then experiences, and then when they align we think those are facts
- The experience and the information could be valid, but the conclusion can still be false
- “We live in a world where If you have an experience that aligns with any piece of information we are almost compelled, encouraged to draw the conclusion that that becomes a fact.” – Andrew Bustamante
- That is not a fact. That is not intelligence
- Knowledge is the advantage, information is just a risk
- The evolutionary process of converting information into knowledge:
- Take the information, analyze it, synthesize it, and look for sources of information that confirm, corroborate, reject or deny
Keep Going Through the Information Loop
- The experiences that you engage in produce more data (new information) – repeating the process
- Is your experience biased? Consistent with other people’s experiences? Is it flawed? Keep going through the information loop/triangle
- Sometimes you have to challenge your own experiences to gain real knowledge. That’s espionage. How do you separate fact from fiction? How do you find a liar?
- Most of this is not new information, but here is the big thing: the reason that spies can apply this is that they recognize how the mind processes that loop. It’s not only learning and applying
- Our mind works against us in that information loop
What To Do When Your Mind Works Against You
- Cognitive bias – in the process of indexing and building information, our mind also creates automated processes in our cognitive functions that skip logical steps
- “People are less aware of the decisions they make based on indirect influences like ego, emotions and individual biases.” – Andrew Bustamante
- In-group bias – all of us want to be part of something
- This bias makes us reach conclusions based on information that allows us to feel like we belong to a group
- They fit the group more than they fit us and that prevents us from converting information to knowledge – that’s the first stumbling block
- Confirmation bias – makes you conclude that whatever information you hear the most frequently is the truth
- Belonging to a group is not innately bad, as long as we become aware of it and seek information from alternate sources
- Multiple sources will take you from information to knowledge