I would encourage you: be informed - knowledge is power.

The words of Matt Bevin, “be informed — knowledge is power,” are not merely an encouragement; they are a commandment born of experience, a torch passed from one generation to the next. To be informed is to awaken from the slumber of ignorance, to step into the light of understanding where fear and confusion cannot dwell. Knowledge is the sacred fire that has carried humankind through darkness, the invisible weapon that builds nations, redeems souls, and breaks the chains of deceit. Without it, even the strongest arm falters; with it, even the weakest voice can move the world.

The ancients knew this truth long before Bevin uttered it. In the age of Greece, Socrates drank the hemlock not because he was ignorant, but because he knew too much—because he dared to teach others to question and to seek knowledge. His death was not a defeat but a triumph, for through his courage, he showed that truth has a power stronger than kings or laws. Knowledge cannot be chained, and no tyrant can hold it long. Every empire that has sought to suppress it has withered, for ignorance breeds decay, while enlightenment gives birth to renewal.

In the modern age, the power of being informed has shaped revolutions and transformed societies. Consider the American Revolution itself: it was not born from swords but from pamphlets, letters, and the spread of ideas. Thomas Paine’s Common Sense armed farmers and craftsmen not with muskets, but with understanding. It told them why they fought, why freedom mattered, and what tyranny truly meant. When minds are awakened, no army can stop them. Bevin’s words echo this same lineage—the call to every citizen to arm themselves with knowledge, for the unthinking crowd is the tyrant’s greatest ally.

And yet, the pursuit of knowledge is not without peril. It demands humility, for to learn is to admit one’s ignorance. The proud man believes he knows all; the wise man knows how little he truly grasps. History is strewn with those who wielded information as a weapon rather than as wisdom. Knowledge without virtue corrupts; it becomes manipulation, deceit, and vanity. But knowledge pursued in the spirit of truth ennobles the soul—it grants vision where others see fog, calm where others feel chaos.

There is also a personal battle hidden within Bevin’s counsel. To be informed is not only to study books or scroll through facts, but to understand oneself—to know one’s motives, fears, and desires. The unexamined life, as Socrates said, is not worth living. When a person learns not only about the world but about their own heart, they become a being of balance and purpose. This is true power: mastery over one’s own ignorance, the ability to choose rightly even amid noise and confusion.

In the story of Malala Yousafzai, we find the living embodiment of Bevin’s wisdom. A young girl armed with nothing but knowledge challenged the darkness of oppression. When bullets were fired to silence her, she rose stronger, her words echoing across the world: that education is power, and that to learn is to live freely. The enemies of truth fear nothing more than a mind that thinks, a spirit that questions. That is the essence of Bevin’s command—to defend the sacred right to learn, for ignorance is the true prison of mankind.

The lesson, then, is clear: seek knowledge as one seeks air. Let curiosity be your compass, humility your vessel, and truth your destination. In every choice, ask not merely, “What should I do?” but “Why?” In every voice you hear, search not for agreement but for understanding. Let no day pass without learning something new, for each truth uncovered is another chain broken.

For those who would walk the path of wisdom, remember this: power does not come from position, but from perception. The informed mind is unshakable, the enlightened heart unconquerable. Bevin’s words are not for scholars alone but for all who would live freely: Be informed, for knowledge is the only crown that time cannot tarnish.