"If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange apples then you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas." - George Bernard Shaw

Not an Apple joke. Didn‘t see that coming.

Very wise, I will remember that one!

Username checks out

Today I learned that George Bernard Shaw didn't understand the difference between exchanging and sharing. (And the impossibility of exchanging ideas.)

Thanks @DLMousey that didn’t quite feel right before.

@DLMousey As obliquely referenced in my above comment, exchanging ideas is impossible. Exchange implies moving not copying. By the nature of ideas, removing an idea (necessary for complete transfer which is itself necessary for exchange) is impossible, at least on demand. (Forgetting on demand is not yet practical.) Therefore, ideas can only be shared, not exchanged.

I know I'm being pedantic with my demand for precision here, but precise concepts can be very useful and far too often we miss nuances because of sloppy language usage.

It simply means knowledge and ideas increases after sharing and not decreases

If I have apple and you have apple we both have one kidney.

Still 2 ideas in total.