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Self-Discovery
From Knowledge to Power
The formula for value
Who hasn’t heard the phrase “knowledge is power”? But what does it actually mean? Power to do what? And is it always true? History suggests yes, but there is an important caveat worth exploring.
Is knowledge power?
For thousands of years, great thinkers have maintained that knowledge gives us power. You can find an early reference to this in the book of Proverbs, written nearly 3,000 years ago. The Contemporary English Version of the Bible reads:
“Wisdom brings strength, and knowledge gives power.” Proverbs 24:5–14
In 1597, English philosopher and statesman Francis Bacon wrote, “Knowledge itself is power.” Not long after, Anglican cleric Jeremy Taylor added: “Knowledge comes by eyes always open and working hands, and there is no knowledge that is not power.” -
Two centuries later, American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson echoed this truth:
“There is no knowledge that is not power.”
Across time and culture, the message is consistent: knowledge holds power. But here’s the caveat. Knowledge only becomes power when it is applied. Knowledge without action is like fuel that never touches a spark.
