Anirudh Week 11: The Power of Knowledge
Knowledge. What is it?
Some may consider knowledge to be a quantifiable concept, others might say it cannot be truly measured. Nevertheless, I think most people can agree that knowledge is identifiable. However, I want to focus on the power that one holds by being knowledgeable.
Everything in our world is driven by knowledge.
Those who deal with technology need to KNOW how it works in order to develop it. Those who construct our buildings need to KNOW the best way to have stable structures. Those who provide entertainment should KNOW how to perform well in whatever media they are in.
Knowledge is a fundamental aspect of society. As a result, it holds immense power because our world would be nothing without it.
This power is visible in the school environment, where knowledge is the essence of everything. Schools demonstrate the importance that society places on wisdom. For the entire first part of our lives, we attend school to learn and gain knowledge. Therefore, increasing knowledge is the motto throughout our adolescent years. This illustrates the great power that knowledge possesses since it is emphasized before we become independent adults. We as a society have unknowingly (or knowingly) acknowledged this power and have done our best to grasp it.
Having knowledge can also prove to be vital in determining a person’s position in society. A prime example can be seen in the depiction of wise people. Especially in fictional stories, the person with wisdom is considered the most powerful character. This is seen in the Kung Fu Panda trilogy, where Master Oogway is seen as the greatest kung fu master because of his knowledge. He has learned more than any other kung fu fighter, which has solidified his position at the top.
As high schoolers, we have gained so much knowledge over the years, yet we have so much to learn. So if you are ever feeling weak, think about the fact that you have accumulated all this knowledge, which directly corresponds to power. As the English philosopher Francis Bacon once said, “knowledge is power.” This does not only refer to the material that we learn in school—it can be any skill or ability that one has. Therefore, we are all powerful beings.
I enjoyed the relieving tone I found in this blog. You've helped me realize that even though the majority of people you surround yourself with show their power of knowledge in a more obvious way, you can still be powerful, hence "we are all powerful beings." I feel as if people tend to overlook the concept of knowledge, only analyzing the use of it through a shallow perspective. If you make many mistakes when doing a task or answering a question, you clearly aren't knowledgeable enough. That is unfortunately how the environments in most competitive household, school, and work settings present themselves as. While I agree that the most knowledgeable people end up also being the most powerful--as you have mentioned when referring to Master Oogway--I wish that there would be more people who would understand that the knowledge that fuels people's ability to become powerful comes in many forms, and that they could approach this use of knowledge in different ways.
ReplyDeleteI loved seeing your references to familiar people and characters in this blog, and I feel like more people should partake in doing this as a way to engage with many people in the audience. I was expecting to come across a Francis Bacon quote sooner or later in this quarter theme, so seeing you use his iconic, "'knowledge is power'" was nice for me to read in your blog. I also liked your emphasis on the word "know" by using capitalized letters every time you mentioned that word in your second paragraph, it helped me especially realize how fundamental knowledge truly is. I appreciate you for writing about such an abstract topic for this quarter theme, I enjoy reading people's personal opinions on an idea that is so broad.
I wholeheartedly agree that knowledge is itself a form of power that propels the world forward. Knowledge is what allows us to survive, and then go even beyond just surviving — enabling us to grow and advance as a society and as individuals.
ReplyDeleteAmong other things (opposable thumbs come to mind), knowledge is what sets human beings apart from other species on this planet. First, human beings came to possess the knowledge necessary to utilize fire for all manner of things: cooking food, forging weapons, lighting up dark spaces, providing warmth, etc. Then, humans acquired the knowledge necessary for algriculture, which laid the foundations for the eventual growth of human society. Tens and thousands of years later, humans have made their way into space, built towering skyscrapers, and various other impressive (although sometimes concerning) feats.
I like that you bring up school as an illustration of how much value we place upon knowledge. Indeed, school teaches people from a young age some of the knowledge that they need to progress in life. It is also revealing how when kids who previously didn't have access to education are provided the opportunity, they are often overjoyed and grateful for the opportunity. Such is the importance of knowledge to humanity, so that even young children understand its greatness.