discriminating, know, write
識 centers on mentally distinguishing and recording information: knowing something through discernment, and writing it down as a record.
識 combines 言 (speech, words) with 戠, which likely contributes the sound and the idea of marking or distinguishing. The character expresses knowing through verbal distinction and recording.
Words (言) are used to discriminate and record knowledge. Picture someone speaking while marking down what they know, distinguishing truth from falsehood.
For シキ, imagine a scholar who can discriminate knowledge by organizing it into neat, chic categories: chic -> シキ, and the words (言) are written down with style.
consciousness
knowledge; information
recognition; awareness; perception; understanding; knowledge; cognition; cognizance; cognisance
common sense; good sense; common knowledge; general knowledge; common practice; accepted practice; social etiquette
distinction; discrimination; discernment; identification
sign; mark; marker; beacon
lack of common sense; thoughtlessness; senselessness; irrationality; absurdity
expert; knowledgeable person; authority (on a subject)
good sense
acquaintance
views; opinion; discernment
sense of beauty; aesthetic sense
well-informed person; thinking person; intelligent person
scholarship; scientific attainments
optical character recognition; OCR
awareness of the issues; (having a) critical mind; concerns
ordinary; sensible; commonplace
conscious; deliberate; intentional
attitude survey; opinion poll
unconsciousness
intellectual
trivia; snippet of knowledge