Knowledge is P.O.W.E.R

The saying "knowledge is power" is one of the most popular but it has different meanings to different people. Knowledge according to the Oxford dictionary refers to facts, information and skills acquired through education and/or experience; the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject. From this definition, it can be deduced that knowledge is an extremely broad and unlimited concept. From this extensive definition of knowledge, a few phrases stand out in my mind. The first is 'facts, information and skills' which are all different stages of the same data. Facts are the purest form of data. Information is processed data i.e it is likely to be slightly different from it's original form, which highlights that some knowledge is positive, others are normative. Skills are gained through information, they are like a tertiary form of data. One cannot be skilled in a field without having a deep rooted level of knowledge in that field. Another phrase that stands out in my mind is 'education and/or experience'. This is particularly important because most people do not separate both in their minds and this can lead to confusion consequently. The main difference between the two is the level of rigidity and how formal they are. Education is very rigid and can be categorized as formal knowledge. This is because it is tested and proven and can be taught. Experience on the other hand is less rigid and more informal. It cannot be tested because it is different for everyone. This difference is what causes different opinions.
Like I said, the saying 'knowledge is power' can be interpreted in many different ways but this is the way I see it.
(1) Knowledge is literally Power!
     -  Knowledge can be power, not physical power but intellectual power. In a situation where one knows something another person doesn't, the one who knows has the power to control that situation. This kind of power is highlighted in careers like law and business. In law, if the defence knows something that the plaintiff does not, then they can use it as evidence or as support for evidence in the courtroom. Such power is also useful in business-related careers because of competition. If a business has access to information, it gives them the upper hand over their competition.
(2) Knowledge is never Overrated!
     - It is not possible for one to have too much knowledge, there is always more to be learned. There are too many calamities that can easily be avoided if people are more knowledgeable. For example, we are all now aware of the presence do the Ebola virus. We are also aware that a couple of people have died from it but what is sadder is that some of these people did not die from the virus itself, they died from using salt to attempt to cure it. If these people had access to the information they needed about the virus, they would not have gone through such doomed and futile measures to try and eradicate it. Also, many people on rural communities die on a daily basis due to lack of clean water and clean food. This can be avoided if the government and other individuals in authority could inform these people of the dangers of their actions and provide solutions to the problems they face.
(3) Knowledge is never Wasted!
     - It is never a waste to know something, it may not be useful for many years but it will be useful someday. What you know may not even be beneficial to you, that does not make it useless or without value. In fact, adding value to someone else is more honorable than adding value to yourself. Knowing is always always better than not knowing.
(4) Knowledge is the Essence of our Existence as human beings
     - The earlier we realize that gaining knowledge is our primary aim and purpose, the earlier we can start the journey to fulfilling purpose in life
   - According to my faith as a Christian, God created us humans to dominate the earth, the air and the sea. To 'dominate' means to have a commanding influence on. Deductively, in order for one to dominate, one has to have an answer to every statement of the thing he is dominant over. For that to happen, one has to know his subject inside out, strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats. In other words, God was passively instructing us to be knowledgeable about everything in our environment. Our strength and dominance over the earth is dependent on our knowledge of it.
    - Inventors understand this principle extensively. Most inventors were and are willing to die in their pursuit of their invention. They also realize that knowledge is a gradual process. They do not discover their invention after one try or overnight. They were willing to work hard at it and become more and more knowledgeable. They were willing to learn from every failure.
There is a popular saying that implies that the end of knowledge is the end of life.
(5) Knowledge is Reliable and Resilient!
     - The word "reliable" means consistently good in quality or performance; able to be trusted. Knowledge is reliable because once you know something, no can take it away from you. This is especially true, when the knowledge is gained through education or first-hand experience. Your knowledge can be shared with other people but it cannot be lost or taken away from you.
     - The word "resilient" refers to the ability of a person to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions. Knowledge itself does not possess this quality but one who possesses knowledge possesses resilience. Resilience comes with knowledge especially when it is gained through personal experience. If one makes a mistake, they are less likely to make this mistake again and as such, they are more knowledgeable about that situation. In the world of business, knowledge makes one resilient. For example, if a company makes a decision that turns sour, then they can learn from it and do better if given the opportunity again. Other companies are more susceptible to making that decision and as such, the company that has made the decision has an advantage.
So, as you can see, knowledge is indeed power. As much as, this seems easy enough to understand, everyone could use some help in the "doing" part, so here's some.

5 simple-ish steps to becoming more knowledgeable;
(1) Learn something new everyday - I find it very cliche to suggest reading a book or watching less reality television. This is because, as much as these seem like brilliant ideas, no one ever gets around to doing them. Learning something new could be a new country or a healthier way of frying an egg or saying "hello" in another language, the importance is that you are learning.

(2) Share whatever you learn with other people - The best way to retain knowledge is to use it over and over again. Knowledge is great and should be shared. While noting this, it is also important to remember to not share information you have learned in a condescending or disrespectful manner because that defeats the purpose.

(3) Surround yourself with people who make you more knowledgeable - If you are the only person in your circle of friends who is motivated to learn, then sooner than later you would lose enthusiasm. Find a balance; obviously no one wants friends who only want to talk about political or socio-economic issues but you also want to talk art, music, fashion, movies and more "not-so-serious" topics. This way knowledge is more well-rounded and balanced.

(4) Challenge yourself, push the envelope! - Never be satisfied with your present level of knowledge. Be eager to learn more about everything. There are too many things to learn more about. You can start with a new word everyday, or a word in a different language. Then gradually, you can proceed to learning short poems. Then eventually after a certain level of comfort has been reached, one can then read a book ( yes, I remember saying this was cliche about two minutes ago 😜). Sometimes one needs a little bit of cliche, because even though it's predictable, at least you know for certain that it works. Cliches are an example of knowledge that has been converted from experience to education, informal to formal.

(5) Be open-minded about knowledge! - It is important to recognize that knowledge can be gotten from any and every source. Knowledge from a toddler is not any less valuable than knowledge from a professor. For example, an allergic reaction or a sharp cry from a toddler can save his or her life while the knowledge a professor passes to his students can be what separates an engineer from a mechanic in the local auto shop, and a doctor from the hospital janitor.
 Never think of yourself as more knowledgeable than someone else. While a rich man may know where to place the knife and fork on a table, I'd've more knowledgeable about wine and art and music, a beggar knows more about survival and improvisation and perseverance.
Even a simple is worth a thousand words (and since those words are different in every mind,and only the picture knows what it's really saying, it is more powerful than the person looking at it).