Knowledge is not power, Knowledge with Action is.
Welcome back!
I came from a culture that strongly believe in education. Growing up it was all about who gets the best grade. Who did get into the advance classes… Academic achievement rank highest in my culture.During my childhood I was what they called a ‘Trouble Kid’. I didn’t score very high and I was much more interested in real life businesses than reading about it in a class room. I preferred to get my hands on real business by working at one of my parents retail shop. I started there at the age of 7 and by the time I was 11 years old, I did sales, cashier, inventory, purchasing… whatever it takes. I wheel and deal every day after school and on the weekends.
we have a family member who is close in age with me. But we are completely opposite from each other. He scored high in all of his classes and he was in advance classes all the time. I was out to work during my entire childhood and he never earned a dollar until he was out of college. In fact, his mother did everything for him, so he can spends all of his time studying. During our childhood we were compared a lot by both of our parents. Most of those conversation were about; how his test scores are so high and how I can learn to be more like him.
Interestingly when him and I both entered in to adulthood. He had a very difficult time adjusting in many of his jobs. The first ten years of his working life, he couldn’t keep a single job for more than 6 months. It is because he was always slow to take action, and always late for his deadline.
On the other hand, I myself at time wished that I did do more reading and learn back in school. And maybe I would had a easier time. None the less, I adjusted fine in the working world. I was always the first to take action and I didn’t miss deadline. What I lack in Knowledge I made up in Actions and Corrections. It is much easier to push a car that is already rolling and steer it to the right direction, than to push a parked car.
I am not disrespecting academic, what I am saying is: Knowledge is not power, Knowledge with Action is.
Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action
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Hi Giovanna,
This is very useful and practical article. I totally agree that just knowledge does not do anything other than self satisfaction. Yes, it is important to take action make use of knowledge we learned.
Thank you for your post.
Shaw Funami
Fill the Missing Link
Hi Giovanna,
We really enjoyed tonight’s Inspiration call on taking action….that’s definitely where the power is! It reminded us of the quote: “Knowledge without follow-through is worse than no knowledge” ~Henry Charles Bukowski
Like you say, there’s no secret to life and all Success formulas have a common ingredient: ACTION. Nothing can happen and will not happen without it.
Thank you for always inspiring us to be better versions of ourselves and to give our best everyday.
Many Blessings….
Hugo and Roxanne ~ Believe Achieve
Hi Giovanna,
I’ve found some similarities between you and me. Me too do not score much usually in the university but always deal with other things and doing hard to earn unlike my fellow students
Totally agree with you.Me too have seen many people who are with knowledge.They deal well with academic stuff but when come to the real world they find difficulties to fitting in.That’s why we need knowledge with actions.
Have a great day!
Hi Giovanna,
Good for you for being at peace with who you are! Not many people are. I, too, come from a culture that has a strong belief in education. In my house, going to college was a given so I know what you are talking about. I have relatives who have very successful jobs but they are not happy and to be blunt, they are stupid when it comes to life. So you are not alone!
That is one of the great distinctions of life, so commonly misunderstood. Deserves a Stumble.
Hi Gio .. looking back I’ve always thought it would have been better if we’d been out as kids with jobs .. but we had a good education & that I wouldn’t have missed, though I’d have liked to have been at a local school and learnt some street cred. I was not v bright at school - struggled in fact, but I’ve always been motivated and now everyone appreciates me as fairly intelligent .. so I guess it’s how it’s applied. Fortunately I must be learning or doing something = action with a growing knowledge: which is propelling me forward.
Thanks for an interesting observation .. it is so true to life ..
Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters
Great point - it’s not knowing what to do, it’s doing what you know.
I’m a fan of turning insights into action. One approach I use is I challenge myself to find 3 action steps whenever I take a training session.
Good observation.
It resonates with me. I believe in “academic” (formal training/education) but not as the primary mean to grow my knowledge. At some point I found out that getting my feet wet gets better results than first deeply studying the area. We call it OJT - on job training. When you possess the right principles and the attitude OJT is the best way. The greatest outcomes are when after getting familiar by getting hands dirty you get back to the class and study the academic stuff. Things look much different and more practical this way. You know when to focus and what to toss in trash
Good stuff!
Hi Shaw
Let’s all take massive action with what we know, and whatever we don’t know we will learn it when we get there.
Thank you, for your comment and support.
Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action
Hi Hugo & Roxanne
Thank you for the kind words. My purpose of everything that I do is to empower people to take ACTION. My hope is everytime I speak, I made an impact on someone and they go and take ACTIOn after my message.
Thank you, for your comment and joining in the conversation.
Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action
Great post! And I totally understand.
Hi Vikum
We need the knowledge but with Action. All the knowledge is the world is still go for nothing.
Thank you, for your comment and sharing your story with me.
Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action
Hi Nadia
I think many of us know people who done great in school, but have a harder time in the work place.
Thank you for your comment and joining in the conversation.
Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action
Hi Sunny
Thank you for the Stumble
I appreciate it very much.
Thanks for the comment and support.
Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action
Hi Hilary
I have gotten to know you well and I would say you are very intelligent. Apply what we learn is one of the main key to success.
Thanks for the comment and sharing your thoughts.
I enjoy watching you growing and moving forward daily, and it shows in eveything that you do.
Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action
Hi J.D.
I remember reading your 3 action steps challenge, that is a great one.
Thanks for the comment and sharing your wisdom with us.
Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action
Hi Alik
Thank you for the wisdom, I love what you said about ‘getting your feet wet gets better results than deeply study fist’.
Cheers to “OJT”
Thanks for the comment and support.
Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action
Hi Christopher
Thanks for the kind words.
Thanks for the comment and support.
Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action
The beauty of taking action is that it exposes you to so much knowledge - the age old “on the job training” is how everyone learned long ago and it still applies in the modern world. The more you act, the more challenges you will encounter that will teach you how things really wor,.
Hi Mark@Global Patriot
There is no better way to apply knowledge then to act up on it.
Thank you for your comment and sharing your thoughts.
Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action
Great site this imperfectaction.com and I am really pleased to see you have what I am actually looking for here and this this post is exactly what I am interested in. I shall be pleased to become a regular visitor
Hi Vomokaybotly
Thank you for your comment and I am glad you enjoy my blog. I look forward to seeing more of you here.
Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action
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