Knowledge is power

We all know the old adage 'knowledge is power' - but why is knowledge is power ?. In an increasingly secular world  people seem to be putting their faith into academics and intellectuals rather than men of the cloth. Dogma is becoming sidelined to the proverbial dustbin of history. Ever since I was a child I have always looked up to intellectual and erudite people. It still makes me wonder in awe when I encounter these  people. Growing up I was never really athletic or even academic, I was a particularly energetic child and quite frenetic. I did find solace reading however, and quickly grew a small library of books.It was a form of escapism, or way of sublimating all my energy.

To understand why I value intellectuals, its fitting I examine the sort of anti-intellectual environment I grew up in - particularly the sort of atmosphere of my secondary school. It was a Catholic all-boys secondary school and was quite economically disadvantaged.I think they took our cognitive faculties away from us in there because we were never expected to question anything. They just taught us by rote learning - Which seemed anachronistic for the time. We had no art or music as subjects in that school any mode of creative self expression was neatly omitted in a way that seemed almost intentional in that nondescript prison-like building. With this sort of environment, it is no wonder I began to admire people who liked to question and scrutinize the world around - people who helped expose the world as it really is. You see I was convinced I didn't have a successful life ahead of me. I was quite troublesome at times in class and quite reckless. I wasn't indifferent to learning, but I was indifferent to the education system that suffocated me.

So why is knowledge power ? Well in my answer the pursuit of knowledge is evolutionary. We learn so we can survive, and when we are in hostile environments we will think of ways to get them for the betterment of our lives. I think its wise to set the goal of ones live for the acquisition of knowledge. That was can expand our boundaries and even go beyond them.