Knowledge Is Power: The Pursuit Of Knowledge And Power

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Since I can remember I have always heard that knowledge is power. No wonder my parents went far and beyond to ensure I had the opportunity to attend Saint Mary’s. My parents believe knowledge is powerful when obtained through a Catholic education. Thus, I understand the intent of Saint Mary’s University in developing God’s gift of knowledge with a mind of my own. The Saint Mary’s University liberal education will affect the growth of my own mind and soul which will allow my never-ending pursuit of knowledge. Because of Saint Mary’s Catholic education community is why I transferred to Saint Mary’s, not only I want to attain knowledge but coupled with my motivation and desire to become a police officer I will be able to grow as a person. The …show more content…

In the film, Rita is a 26 years old hairdresser wanting to realize her academic potential by attending college but first completing a literature course. Her husband is not too happy that Rita prefers an education instead of starting a family. She wants to learn and change from the inside to become confident and independent. At first Dr. Frank Bryant, the college professor, did not want to teach her because he realizes she has no schooling and it will be hard to teach her. He adds, “All I know is that I know absolutely nothing” (“Educating Rita”) trying to convince her that he will not tutor her. But Rita is persistent and insist for him to teach her. When her husband finds out that she is taking birth control pills, he burns her books and pills. Educating Rita is an example of how education can affect an individual. Rita learns and develops an independent mind so she leaves her husband. Throughout the film Dr. Frank teaches Rita how to write essays to pass the exams to enter the university. Like in Educating Rita, though the liberal education at Saint Mary’s will not make you Catholic or make you a good man, it will change your mind and soul to an independent mind capable to speak your own …show more content…

Both became independent minds who think on their own, form their own opinions and can speak up for themselves. They attain their knowledge through a true experience and not by perception which is not necessarily the truth. Rita lives a true experience in the university while the three prisoners live inside the cave under a false perception. To learn we must be exposed to a learning environment, so Rita learns when she is tutored by Dr. Frank, whereas the escaped prisoner learned by experiencing the truth outside of the cave. Indeed, Albert Einstein’s quote “the only source of knowledge is experience” supports the fact of how Rita and the escaped prisoner could learn from experience. The other two prisoners inside the cave live a false reality and are not aware of their surroundings so they do not have the chance to learn the truth therefore they do not believe what the escaped prisoner shares he sees. Though we like the two prisoners in the cave should question the reality or truth we must keep accumulating new experiences and knowledge to develop our own individuality within society. In other words, one should welcome the living of new experiences and attaining new knowledge that will affect your thinking and ability to speak for yourself. More importantly, go out there and learn, gain the knowledge by living the

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