Is Knowledge Power?
Is Knowledge Power
Post updated 06-01-2024
What is the difference between knowledge and wisdom, and is knowledge power? Think about this for a minute and then ask yourself is your knowledge power? Are you using your knowledge and perceptions to the greater advantage?
Our discussion today is; is knowledge power and the difference in knowledge and wisdom, and then where does common sense become signficent?
“For knowledge to be powerful, it must have action and be used with wisdom. Gaining more knowledge must be a road frequently traveled, and one that never ends. With this perspective, there is always more to fathom.”
Knowledge vs Wisdom
The primary difference between the two words is that wisdom involves a healthy dose of perspective. It is then the ability to make sound judgments about a subject while knowledge is simply knowing. Anyone can become knowledgeable about a subject by reading, researching, and memorizing facts. re: Dictionary.com
The next question we want to ask ourselves is, if wisdom is greater than knowledge, and often that has been proven true, what is the use of gaining more knowledge?
What is Knowledge About And How Do We Gain Knowledge
Knowledge is about knowing, understanding, awareness, consciousness, realization, practice, experiences, and so much more. However, it seems impossible for the human to know everything about all things. Yes, there is the ability to know about many things, but can one be knowledgeable of all things? We do not think so.
How Does One Achieve Knowledge
We gain knowledge by learning, studying, reading, memorizing, reasoning, and getting a higher education (usually in one subject but not all). However, knowledge can only be powerful when used with discretion and wisdom.
If wisdom is missing from the equation, life things can go haywire and become more disruptive versus solutions of quality.
Where Does Common Sense Fit Into Our Efforts
There is also another word to throw in here, and it is common sense. Common sense is one key to wisdom. If you use plain old, good common sense with knowledge, you stand a chance of being more powerful in your actions, thoughts, and living.
There are many times that individuals have explicit knowledge, they are efficient, smart, and use it to a great extent. However, if someone crosses their belief system with something derogatory, they lose it. Instead of holding their composure, and possibly learning and increasing their present knowledge with something of value, they lose it. They take a flight into, “Who are you to tell me something?”
Their common sense did not overrule their deceptive position that their knowledge was more powerful than others.
“Most of us are aware that you cannot play with a snake, unless you want to get bitten by it.”
Why Is Knowledge Not Power
Whoever first said that knowledge is power was probably selling encyclopedias. Knowledge is a tool, like money and influence. Tools are only powerful if they are used effectively. How, then, do you make a headful of knowledge into a powerful tool?
1. One must be sufficient enough in seeing clearly what can be done.
2. By seeing your limitations and strengths.
3. One must have an actionable plan on what you know.
Wise Actions-Not Knowledge is Power
Investors often learn so much that they think they can consistently predict the course of the stock market. In reality, there are probably fewer than ten old investors that have never lost money. Wise investors know that the best they can do is get the odds in their favor, so they’ll have more wins than losses. You have to see the limitations of knowledge.
I can read about how to sing and even get advice from a voice coach, but I can’t sing well. I’m not saying that I could never sing well, only that right now I cannot.
If I’m not willing to do what is necessary, then I would be wise to look for a non-singing way to make money. You have to see your limitations.
You Can Have a Ph.D. and Still Not Have Power
Knowledge is not good without the ability to use it and use it wisely, with the right discretion.
You have that Ph.D. in Psychology, and you have clients that you counsel weekly. You know the questions to ask such as “Why are you not happy, feel alone and sad?” You give your clients the knowledge you have probably written down from your studies, and possibly some things that have worked with previous clients. Yet your life is a mess, disrupted, you feel alone, and you are unhappy.
Why is your knowledge with your Ph.D. not powerful? It seems that you might be lacking in the knowledge of self-awareness, and the ability to give someone else advice.
It would appear that something is missing. To be more powerful it would seem that you would need to gain the same perspective that you are possibly dictating is insufficient in another person’s life.
Does that mean that one is doomed? Of course not, it means that it is necessary to self-evaluate ourselves even when our education level is high.
Actions Constitute The Ability to Use Knowledge
The most important part of shifting knowledge into power is the actions upon gaining knowledge. You can study political philosophy and every aspect of the political process for a decade and still have no power.
Power is in the effective application of what you know.
You can have the knowledge associated with becoming a millionaire. You have saved money in the past. However, you are now lost in the process because you are following the knowledge you once had.
The best solutions have changed. Your knowledge must change. You have to see the limitations of a fixed set of knowledge.
You have not gained new knowledge of what is working more currently. You have stopped the learning process and you must learn something more.
However, it will be that you have lost money as you have continued the old reliable process. Your past knowledge has lessened, you have not continued to become more knowledgeable, and you are losing money.
Imagine an inventor with a hundred ideas on paper. He has a head full of knowledge, and creative imagination, but nothing to show for it. Now imagine a simple man with one new invention, who understands the limits of innovation without marketing, and sees his limitations in that area. He seeks out the people that can help him and makes a million. Now that’s power.
Summary
“Knowledge is not all powerful. It is only powerful if you keep acquiring it, use it wisely, and know your limits.
It is powerful if you know that knowledge is universal. Everyone has some knowledge of something. Each person has their own expertise in their knowledge.
It is important to understand that to make your knowledge beneficial to others, one must know how to share it prudently.
How Is Knowledge Power- check out the differences of opinion
