In a world where knowledge is as easily accessed as clicking a mouse, everyone with a computer has become a knowledge hoarder in some capacity. Whether you are an expert on psychology, DIY projects, or the body language of cats, you have hoarded a mass of knowledge for at least one area where you can call yourself an expert. But what is your purpose in obtaining all this knowledge? Most of us would claim it is for the sheer joy of learning (or because cats are such an integral part of our everyday lives). For whatever reason, you likely fall into one of these three types of knowledge hoarders.

1. The Avid Learner

Albert Einstein once said, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” We are all an avid learner in at least one area of our lives and have thus become a knowledge hoarder for that particular subject. Knowledge has become like shopping for our favorites things. In exchange for a few hours of time, we can obtain a list of applicable facts in whatever area of knowledge tickles our fancy. We just need to be careful when sharing these facts for fear of being like our next type of knowledge hoarder.

2. The Data Snob

This type of knowledge hoarder seems to thrive off of others basking in the awesomeness of their knowledge. At least they would thrive off it if people actually cared about the factoids they threw out at inappropriate times. Data snobs hoard knowledge for the purpose of lording it over others under the guise of being helpful, though the truth is that many may actually be genuine in trying to help others with what they know. It’s hard to pour tea in a covered cup, however. This type of knowledge hoarder need only wait for a question and may then provide an answer. The same cannot be said for the last type, where providing knowledge is like pulling teeth since they rarely look up from their books.

3. The Frightened Hermit

This type of knowledge hoarder learns for the purpose of trying to understand the outside world. Whereas the avid learner sees the joy in what can be theorized and the data snob can see the joy in what can be applied, the frightened hermit sees the immense and utter terror in both of these aspects. The outside world will have to wait until everything about it is understood before the frightened hermit will ever see it. Little does the type of knowledge hoarder realize, the best way to understand the world is to go outside and experience it.

If you are one or more of these types of knowledge hoarders, there is one truth that applies to all of them: it is okay to not know some things. Not knowing every bit of trivia in a certain area does not make the avid learner any less avid; not knowing everything there is to know about a subject does not make the data snob any less intelligent, and being unaware of how some things work won’t mean instant failure for the frightened hermit. While knowledge is now easily accessible, there’s no need to rush the joy of acquiring it.