Knowledge is Not Power

There is an old saying that "knowledge is power." Everyone has heard it before I'm sure, and probably believe that it's true. I did too for a while...but I've come to realize that this saying is incomplete. Knowledge is not power, the use of knowledge is power. It's a small distinction, but a very important one. Say the smartest person in the world (we'll call him Bill) was able to instantly memorize every bit of information that is put in front of him through books, lectures, videos, or any other form of communication. But this person always kept to himself, and never actually did anything with all of his knowledge. He never wrote any books, invented anything, drew anything, or even talked to anyone else. Do you think that person has power? I don't think so.

So let's look at a different scenario. What if a different person (we'll call him Bob) who was always thought to be a slow learner, and in fact it took him until he was 10 years old just to learn how to talk, dropped out of school in the 5th grade at the age of 16, and started working at a grocery store stocking groceries. He worked there stocking groceries for the next 10 years, in the same store doing the same job over and over. During this time, he also became good friends with the store manager and others employees as well. One day, he mentions to his department manager that he noticed that customers would often go to the canned food aisle after they picked up bags of tortilla chips even though it was at the other end of the store. He suggested that they move the salsa to the snack aisle, and the manager made it happen. Over the next week, their salsa sales doubled. The manager asked Bob if he had any other ideas, and Bob told gave him a few more suggestions. Almost every suggestion Bob gave the manager ended up increasing sales or customer satisfaction. So the manager made Bob the manager of the grocery department. Bob was a simple man who still learned slowly, but by using the knowledge he did have, he was able to help the company increase sales and customer satisfaction.

Which of these men have more power? I would suggest that it is Bob. Even though he's not nearly as smart and doesn't have nearly the amount of knowledge that Bill does, he still has more power than Bill does because he actually uses the knowledge that he does have. Wouldn't you agree?

So here's another question for you. Do you use the knowledge you have to increase your power, or do you not do anything with it? What do you think you should do? I know this is a stupid question at this point, but I am trying to get you to really think about it rather than just reading these words and dismissing it as obvious without thinking about what you do in your own life. I am betting that you have a lot of knowledge that you don't do anything with, or that you rarely use. Why? Everyone has a lot of knowledge that they can use in their everyday lives. Whether it was gained through education or experience doesn't matter. The amount of knowledge you have doesn't even matter. What matters is what you do with the knowledge you do have. Find ways to use the knowledge you possess in your everyday life. That is one of the best ways you can increase your influence and power. Start today!!!