Knowledge is Power.. But Not in the Way You Think

I believe in the power of knowledge.

The expression ‘Knowledge is power’ is a common one throughout our society but this is not what I am referring to. I’m referring to the power knowledge has to change our opinions and how we think. The power it has to fight ignorance. All throughout my life my parents have encouraged my siblings and I to seek out knowledge. To constantly be learning and exploring new things. To not be afraid to admit when you didn’t know something. Whenever there was a word we didn’t know instead of explaining it to us their response would always be “Look it up”.  That drive and passion to learn has shaped who I am today; my interests, my opinions, my work ethic. Seeking knowledge has taught me how to be independent and not rely on others. If I’m uncertain or curious about a subject I’ll look into it myself. Most of the passions and interests that affect my identity wouldn’t be with me if I didn’t have my knowledge. Mythology, animals, European history, books. Little random facts and intrigues that float around my mind, waiting to be shared with others

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As I’ve matured I’ve noticed I’ve held knowledge to that same worth. At work I often take on the role of a teacher. But instead of just giving information about the animals I work with, I let whoever I’m talking to actually interact with them. Holding, touching, letting the animal out to explore just so they can observe it; all these things help equally in the formation of opinions and biases. While I can give information and cute stories about the animals I work with, it does no good unless people gain their own experience. It is up to them to decide if they will take the chance to learn something new, to change preexisting biases and prejudices against some of the less furry pets like reptiles and tarantulas.

Knowledge has even helped me to become a more accepting person. Reading books, watching films, learning history. All from different viewpoints. All from narrators of different walks of life, different countries, different race, different socioeconomic level. Different perspectives. All have helped me to realize what intolerance and ignorance does. All have helped me as a person grow. To stand up for the little guy. To realize the mistakes of the past and to try my best not to replicate them.

My dad often has trouble comprehending why, when information is so easily accessible, there are still so many who are ignorant or intolerant. The answer is quite simple. Not everyone is raised to value knowledge to it’s fullest extent. Not everyone seeks to know and also to understand. We hear it all the time in biology and the other sciences. ‘The point isn’t to memorize but to actually understand the content’.

Knowledge by itself isn’t power.

Understanding that knowledge, accepting that knowledge for what it really is without bias.

That is the real power. 

The power to alter perception. To change bias. To get rid of intolerance

That is the power of knowledge.

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6 thoughts on “Knowledge is Power.. But Not in the Way You Think

  1. Dear Amy,

    I believe that the message your piece presents is a very important one that I wholeheartedly support. As someone who has come to know you personally over the past few years, I can say you did an excellent job at transitioning your ideas and beliefs into a written format. One part of your blog that really grabbed me was in the fourth paragraph as I support the notion that knowledge helps people grow more empathetic and understanding. Ignorance is unfortunately rather common, despite how this is the age of information, and I appreciate how you spoke out against remaining uninformed.

    If there was anything I would suggest in regards to improvements, it would be to vary your sentence structure more. Many of your sentences are simple, which is fine in moderation, but can take away some of the sophistication and impact of your points when used too often. I believe that if you were to add some more complex sentence structure, your arguments would feel more impactful and improve your future pieces.

    Overall, this was a very well executed piece that I was able to personally connect with and attach myself to the point you presented. I look forward to seeing what other posts you have in the works.

    Sincerely,
    Spencer

    1. Dear Spencer,

      Thank you so much for your thoughtful insight and kind words. I’m also very happy that you were able to relate to the piece!

      I’m glad you touched on sentence structure variety as it is something I know I must work on. As someone who writes mainly fiction it can often be difficult to make my writing more complex but I will definitely strive to do better in the future! Thank you so much!

      Sincerely,
      Amy

  2. Dear Amy,

    Your personal examples were an excellent addition to your topic, they brought meaning and weight to your blog. I really enjoyed reading about your childhood experiences and how they developed into what they are now. They helped not only the personal aspect of your story but also to keep it organized. They events were easy to follow and helped me follow your story from beginning to end.

    Something that I would recommend for future blogs is remain on topic, your blog was supposed to be about knowledge being power, and there were moments where the way you wording things seemed contradictory. For example when you were talking about work and the way you teach kids, it seemed as if you were saying knowledge is not as important as experiences. This would have worked well if your title was not about knowledge being power.

    Overall, I enjoyed reading your blog and look forward to many more!

    -Alexis

    1. Dear Alexis,

      I’m glad the examples made the piece easier for you to follow and understand, and I’m glad you enjoyed reading it!

      I can see where the confusion is coming from based on the title. For this piece, yes, I was talking about knowledge but wisdom as well. What we do with that knowledge that we have. That being said I noticed myself that I tended to drift and almost ramble, getting quite off topic in a few places, the example you gave being one of them. Honestly, that drifting is probably my biggest flaw as a writer and I will be putting a lot more effort into remedying it this year!

      Thank you so much for the kind words and advice!

      -Amy

  3. Dear Amy,
    Your piece was beautifully written. I relate to the part where you talked about your parents telling you to search things up. My mom always tells me that we have so many resources. She always tells me how back then they didn’t have all this and she always tells me how lucky I am to have access to it.

    I love how you are so passionate about knowledge. You demonstrate it so well in your blog. Some people never understand why knowledge is so important, but you do and you cherish and respect it. We are so lucky to be able to seek knowledge whenever we want by a click of a button. I could see how important knowledge is to you by the tone in your writing. This writing piece will help me get to understand you better as a person

    Love,
    Manisha

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