Do you believe that knowledge is power?

What we are today is motivated and craved by the various backgrounds we are all coming from. Our backgrounds are made up of the inter-connection of various factors that collaborate together, and impact us based on socio-economic, political, technological, religious and cultural environments we are exposed to.

The common dominator in all the above mentioned factors is the language. Politics, invention, innovations, commerce, failures etc. are all conceived, expressed and manifested through the medium of a language. Some languages (for example English) are so powerful in such a way that they dominate the world and everything in it.

Words have been spoken and even written over history by many great people. People have quoted from greats such as Socrates, Galeleo, Aristotle, Buddah , Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein etc. Today people are still quote from modern philosophers such Waldo Emmerson, Nelson Mandela, Jack Canfield etc. Words that have been spoken or even written great icons such the ones I mentioned above have been adopted by nations and have become a portion of their fundamental premises of reasoning. In other words such words have become contributors in nations paradigms of thought.

Amongst words and paradigms that have been propagated over centuries, I would like to challenge the widely used adage that say ‘KNOWLEDGE IS POWER’. Like all other words that have been said that have influenced the thinking and the resultant behavior of people in the world, I would like to urge the world to get analytical in the use of such an adage, so that we can perceive, express and manifest the kind of wisdom that is realistic and capable of directing us and generations to come into a sensible, constructive and logical outcomes

One thing will remain true at all times: no man, family, community, nation, continent and world will break into a success beyond their level of thinking. You are the master of your destiny, in other words – you are your outcomes. It’s time for a paradigm shift.

Knowledge is not power. Knowledge is however potential power. Yes! Wrong precepts will lead to wrong concept and ultimately wrong behaviour and outcomes. Knowledge will remain useless until unleashed and put into use. There you don’t expect power from potential.

I just want to explain this by way of example. I have an experience of how the misconception that knowledge is power has led to undesirable outcomes in the work environment. While I was still employed by one of the major banking groups in the Republic of South Africa, top management saw the need to bring in fresh talent into the organization. They wanted to bring in young people in the group, train them up and created a talent pool that they utilize in future. Therefore they introduced the graduate programme. These young graduates were source from universities and Technikons in the country.

You can imagine a lot of these young graduates come into the workplace with an attitude that they are professionals and know a lot. (any way knowledge is power). Many of them became thick headed and never valued much the people they found in the employ of the organization. Their thinking of possessing superior knowledge has puffed them up as they begun to feel empowered. Some on the them thought by merely possessing a Bachelor’s degree and an employment contract in a reputable banking group that they are qualified of amassing the spoils of the corporate world. They raised their expectations so high only find that things don’t work out they expect. Believe you me, a lot of them became very disappointed.

This is just of the many illustrations that demonstrate that how wrong and harmful is the adage: knowledge is power. It is my desire that everyone in the world should start building on the new adage that says ‘KNOWLEDGE IS POTENTIAL POWER’.