\u2018Knowledge\nis Power\u2019 is a proverb that signifies that knowledge is a true and strong power\nwhich always remains with the person in all good and bad times. Knowledge makes\na person powerful and empowers him to win over any situation or any condition.\nKnowledge is power means that a person having more knowledge will be able to\ncontrol circumstances in the life accordingly. Knowledge is power really means\nthat if one has complete knowledge, he or she can be more powerful in the world\nand does not require other things in life such as anyone\u2019s help, friends, etc.\nwhich cannot be defeated by other power on the earth. We can say that knowledge\ngives power and power gives knowledge. The phrase is also used as a\njustification for a reluctance to share information when a person believes that\nwithholding knowledge can deliver to that person some form of advantage. This\nfamous phrase is attributed to the well-known English essayist, Sir Francis\nBacon, who wrote, \u201cHuman knowledge and human power meet in one; for where the\ncause is not known the effect cannot be produced. Nature to be commanded must\nbe obeyed; and that which in contemplation is as the cause is in operation as\nthe rule.\u201d A proverb with practically the same connotation was also found in\nHebrew, in the Biblical Book of Proverbs, translated as: \u201cA wise man is strong;\nyea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength\u201d. Firdousi\u2019s \u201cShahnama\u201d also\ncontains the line with the same meaning: \u201cOne who has wisdom is\npowerful\u201d. The phrase implies that with knowledge through education and\nother skills, one\u2019s potential or abilities in life will certainly increase.\nHaving and sharing knowledge is widely recognised as the basis for improving\none\u2019s reputation and sphere of influence, thus power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Man\nis at the zenith of the evolutionary chain. He is the epitome of civilisation.\nThis is attributed to his unique ability to transform data into information and\nthen into usable knowledge. The quest to expand our area of the known drives\nhumanity to explore newer vistas. However, with the \u2018area of the known\u2019, our\n\u2018area of the unknown\u2019 increases exponentially. Therefore, knowledge is knowing\nwhat we cannot know. History of human civilisation tells us that the\nsurvival of mankind depended largely upon the growth of the knowledge base man\npossessed. From the Stone Age till the modern era, man continued to struggle\nfor knowing the unknown. He explored the seven seas, the water depths, the high\nskies, the space beyond our galaxy, the human body and most important of all,\nthe human mind. He struggled to get knowledge about this universe and its\nconstituents. Earlier, his tools were primitive. But now, he is busy in his\nendeavour of getting knowledge through the most sophisticated tools available,\nviz. telecommunications
\nand satellites, electronic devices, lasers, psychology, reiki, vaastu, yoga,\ntranscendental meditation, space science, Internet, medical technologies, etc.\nMan has capitalised on his capacity to generate or gather ideas in order to\nempower itself. How else would we trace man\u2019s journey from being the inventor\nof wheel to the architect of nanotechnology. Man has progressed in many fields,\nincluding science and technology, medicine, law, psychiatry, surgery, computer\nscience, software development, space research, ocean engineering, power\ngeneration which are some of the areas explored by him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But\nhow do we know that we know? There exists a causal connection between knowledge\nand society,
\nwhich goes both ways\u2014not only does society shape our knowledge but the reverse\nalso holds true. A new
\nreligious message, scientific insight or technology that develops within the\nsociety holds the power to alter the social order. That is how the discoveries\nof nuclear physicists in the 20th century could virtually alter the hierarchy\nof science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
French\nphilosopher and historian Michael Foucault\u2019s works analysed the link between\npower and knowledge. He asserts that belief systems gain momentum and hence\npower; as more people come to accept the particular views associated with that\nbelief system as common knowledge. Such belief systems also define their\nfigures of authority within a particular society, say, doctors in a clinic or\npriests in a church. From such belief systems, certain ideas crystallise which\ntransform and normalise themselves as normal and deviant within a specific\nsociety. The frontiers of knowledge are being stretched every second\u2014even while\nwe write or read this essay. Human embryos are waiting to be cloned, Androids\nare being conceptualised and designed and hopefully, someone is on the verge of\nfinding a vaccine for AIDS. Therein lies the power of knowledge\u2014the one who\norganises knowledge and applies it in current context is the ultimate ruler.\nThe more information that enters one\u2019s domain, the more accessible it becomes\nfor further processing and consequently for its application in the real world.\nIf we think all that we needed to know has already been taught, ponder over\nOscar Wilde\u2019s reflection that \u201cnothing that is worth knowing can be taught.\u201d\nThis statement bears a lot of truth\u2014the best knowledge is that knowledge that\nis acquired first hand. First-hand knowledge is nothing but knowledge of the\nself. The knowledge of self-expands continuously as well\u2014but we must be aware\nof the ever-changing self. Often we indulge in actions that do not harmonise\nwith our thoughts. When we identify these discrepancies and seek to rectify\nthem, we experience \u2018absolute knowledge of self\u2019. We can thus visualise our\ninner selves from an objective point of view and experience infinite peace.\nSuch is the power of first-hand knowledge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Knowledge\nis distinct from simple information. Both knowledge and information consist of\ntrue statements, but knowledge is information that has a purpose or use. From\nthe assortment of information that is thrust on us, we have to use our\nindividual mental \u2018filters\u2019 to separate the wheat from the chaff. However, it\nis absolutely necessary that knowledge is not misused. Nuclear power must be\nused for peaceful purposes and not for development of deadly weapons. We should\ntry to spread the knowledge base in all the fields in the masses and it must be\nimparted to our rural children, youth, women and farmers. They can emerge as\nthe major facilitators of our economic growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Knowledge\ncan be granted or withheld as well as shared or kept secret\u2014it amounts to a\nsource of power in either of these cases. The exercise of power seems endemic\nto humans as social beings. Knowledge becomes a source of power when it is\nshared with others. Knowledge for selfish ends results in the birth of evil. We\ntake refuge in the tale of the Ramayana, where Ravana is described as a gifted\nmusician and a knowledgeable authority in the Vedas and the scriptures. He was\nan ardent devotee of Lord Shiva and enchanted Shiva with his music. One day,\ndelighted by the demon king\u2019s music, Lord Shiva granted him a wish: Ravana\ndesired that his life could only be ended by Shiva. As the years passed, Ravana\nacquired enormous powers through his penance and through the wish granted by\nLord Shiva. But, instead of using his powers and his knowledge for the benefit\nof the world, Ravana used them to attain his own ends. He became conceited with\nknowledge. Becoming vain with knowledge is akin to being blinded by light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\ngreatest novel is yet to be written; the most profound poem is yet to be\ncomposed; the best painting is yet to be made. There is not a perfect example\nof a railroad or a highway or a government functioning in the most efficient\nway possible. Sciences are being fundamentally revised. Newton waited for an\nEinstein and Darwin waits to be challenged. All these and more are the result\nof knowledge, its application and its widespread dissemination. Lives are\nwaiting to be changed by vast knowledge reserves.\n\n Therefore, knowledge is a source that must be harnessed. Learning\nthrough education is just one part of knowledge that can be put to great use.\nKnowledge and consequently, power can be found everywhere and is waiting to be\nput to productive use to empower humankind\u2014\u201cseek and we shall find it\u201d. To\nclinch our view, we can state that latest knowledge must be acquired in all the\nimportant areas, especially those related to one\u2019s job, business, profession or\nskill. Researches must be translated into practical solutions. The vast\nknowledge base must be utilised for meeting the challenges of poverty,\nilliteracy, unemployment, disease, disability and bring about a balanced\ndevelopment of society.\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u2018Knowledge is Power\u2019 is a proverb that signifies that knowledge is a true and strong power which always remains with the person in all good and bad times. Knowledge makes a person powerful and empowers him to win over any situation or any condition. Knowledge is power means that a person having more knowledge will […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.competitionreview.in\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/632"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.competitionreview.in\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.competitionreview.in\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.competitionreview.in\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.competitionreview.in\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=632"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.competitionreview.in\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/632\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":633,"href":"https:\/\/www.competitionreview.in\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/632\/revisions\/633"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.competitionreview.in\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=632"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.competitionreview.in\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=632"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.competitionreview.in\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=632"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}