Thursday, June 24, 2010

The Debilitating Power of Ignorance

Ignorance is power. It is the most pervasive force in the universe, for you can do nothing about something about which you know nothing. One’s power or strength is not defined but what his knowledge enables him to do but by what his ignorance prevents him from doing. The reason is simple. Knowledge must be acted upon for it to have any effect but ignorance is self-actuating. Ignorance is always at work, keeping us from accomplishing what we can. It is not sufficient to know that we can, for we can do nothing until we do something. It is no wonder that the Bible, that ancient book over which so many conflicts have needlessly been waged, declares “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” This is not a prophecy; it is a statement of fact. It matters not whether you are a theist, a non-theist or an atheist. We are dead men walking when we remain in ignorance, but the death is not a natural one. It is one of self-inflicted violence.

But partial ignorance is even more powerful and pervasive than ignorance. Ignorance keeps you anchored to the land and prevents you from getting into the water. Partial ignorance allows you to place one foot on the water but prevents you from removing the other foot from the land. Partial ignorance opens the door to the Promised Land but prevents you from stepping in. Partial knowledge is on the same plane as unutilized knowledge. It is not enough to know or to be informed. That information does us no good until it is put to productive use. For, you see, a rut is of no value unless your goal is to dig a hole. A great deal of harm is done by knowledgeable ones who think they know when they really do not know, or who act as if they do not know.