Acquiring general knowledge is an important part of learning about the world. General knowledge concerns kinds rather than individuals. For instance, it includes the knowledge that dogs are covered in fur and that they like chewing on bones but not the knowledge that your neighbor’s dog is a poodle. Acquiring general knowledge is particularly important because of its inferential power. The knowledge that dogs like chewing on bones shapes your expectations about many dogs, including dogs you have never actually encountered; in contrast, knowing that your neighbor’s dog is a poodle does not support inferences about any other dogs.