Our world revolves around power! We work our butts off to climb the power ladder in the world, each sequent rung giving us more power than the previous one. Being in a position of power garners us more respect, influence, and an easier life. On a global scale, more powerful countries have more respect than others. Countries possessing military might and a strong economy are heard the most at global conferences. Military wise, everyone is in a race to outdo others by developing the latest warfare tech. However, what is the most powerful thing a human hand can hold?
Some might say that a remote controller to activate nukes, carrying with them enough power to destroy a city, is the most powerful thing a human hand can hold. But I beg to differ. I believe the pen is the most powerful thing a human hand can hold, and knowledge is the most powerful thing a human heart can contain. Think about it, everything we have been able to achieve started with the pen transcribing the knowledge contained in a human heart. Raw power wise, a bear is stronger than any human, yet we walk around like we own this planet. The only reason we are able to do that is because of knowledge.
We try to flex our raw power without realizing where our actual power lies. I can brag about being all strong and tough, but if I run into a bear without having the knowledge of how to save myself in that situation, I’ll become bear food. We can brag about possessing guns, but we fail to realize that it was knowledge because of which we have guns in the first place. Knowledge is the ultimate human flex.
The Human Evolution
Let’s look at the ladder of power from a human evolution perspective. In the stone age our knowledge was limited and so was our power. Storms, diseases, and animals would devour us. Most humans would not travel alone, and going out at night was considered a death wish. Now, travelling alone for work, school, or leisure is a necessity, and there are songs about owning the night. The only reason we have come this far is because of knowledge. Human power and knowledge go hand in hand, one cannot exist without the other. The ones strongest mentally guide the human race, not the ones strongest physically.
COVID proved this too. It did not matter how much military might a place had, it came down to the strength of the mind to solve this problem and save lives. Everyone started looking up to the scientists developing vaccines, and the strategizers coming up with ways to live in a pandemic world. Similarly, if a forest fire breaks out or if a cyclone is about to hit, we need knowledge to solve that problem. Knowledgeable people will know what the best course of action is in that scenario, what precautions to take, what areas will be affected and what won’t, and what areas need to be evacuated. Thing is, why don’t we all become knowledgeable people?
Just like we go to the gym to work on our physical strength, we need to work out our brains to gain mental strength which is definitely more important. Learning is the best way to work out our brains. We need to make a conscious effort to gain knowledge. If we want power in this world that is the only way. The funny thing is the more knowledge you gain the more humble you will become which beats the contrary notion of power.
If we don’t have power over ourselves, does any other power even matter? Knowledge is the means to gain power over yourself. With knowledge you can find the best course of action and make the best decisions for yourself and others. Knowledge is the means to find answers, to discover what really matters, and what you need to do, all of which will let you gain power over yourself.
How can we apply this concept to our daily lives?
Well the answer to this is simple: we need to gain knowledge every instant possible. A day spent without learning something new is a wasted day. Knowledge is not limited to a university degree or a diploma. Knowledge means that if you are a cobbler by profession, you need to know all about the materials, leathers, and techniques you can use to make the best shoes in town, and you need to keep learning to progress in your craft. That side of knowledge applies to your profession. Whatever you do by profession, you need to gain knowledge about it to hone your craft and climb the ladder of power. This knowledge is acquired through teachers, books, and other people of knowledge.
The Types of Knowledge
There is another type of knowledge, personal knowledge. This type of knowledge involves anything that benefits you internally with no direct external benefits. This includes learning about religion, learning about how to stay healthy and the risks to your health, learning about how you need to behave in different social settings, learning about all the fears that keep you up at night, learning about what you aspire to do with your life, and so on. This knowledge helps you develop your identity and helps you to find your footing in the world. This knowledge is acquired through your upbringing, other people of knowledge, life experiences, books, and anything that can teach you a lesson.
The third type of knowledge is general sciences. This type of knowledge includes history, science, math, languages, sports, current affairs and so on. This knowledge develops the extra set of skills you need and may not be relevant to your profession or your personal growth. But this extra knowledge is what gives rise to intuition and wisdom. Every single day we require intuition to survive. Knowing what to spend your money on and what not, knowing where to buy a house, knowing what car to buy that best fits your needs, all these things require intuition. And if you aim to rise through the ranks at your company or start your own business, you require intuition and wisdom to make decisions. The best way to learn this type of knowledge is through your hobbies, by watching YouTube videos, casual reading, or playing golf, even.
Raw power has not enabled humans to evolve this much and become the leaders of the world. A bear has more raw power than any human. Knowledge is what adds beauty to humanity, gives us power, and our minds are our strongest weapons. We need to gain as much knowledge as we can to be successful at anything.
