Data Te Ching, ch 9

First, there is only the mess of data
The initial state of entropy
Data gathered and stored
But in raw and chaotic rest

Perhaps this is all that there will ever be
As awareness and effort are needed
To awaken actionable insights
From this crystalized formation

To prepare this raw material
There are many choices to make
Questions to ask
Tests to apply

We sort and arrange data
In order to shape it
Like carving a block of wood or stone
What we chip away
We still call wood or stone
But it is not the part we are looking for
So we disregard it

The conclusion precedes the creation
It comes from the data
But is not in every splinter or pebble of it
We elicit it
As we define it
It guides us to itself