--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To hold power in this world is to know…" description: "\"“To hold power in this world is to know things that others do not want to know.”\" — Michael Davidow" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/544/michael-davidow-47225_know_to-hold-power-in-this-world-is-to-know-t_2997026.jpg" --- # To hold power in this world is to know things that others… ![“To hold power in this world is to know things that others do not want to know.” quote by Michael Davidow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/544/michael-davidow-47225_know_to-hold-power-in-this-world-is-to-know-t_2997026.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/544/michael-davidow-47225_know_to-hold-power-in-this-world-is-to-know-t_2997026.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/544/michael-davidow-47225_know_to-hold-power-in-this-world-is-to-know-t_2997026.jpg) > ““To hold power in this world is to know things that others do not want to know.”” [Michael Davidow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-davidow/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote suggests that true power comes from possessing knowledge that others avoid or fear, implying secrecy as a source of influence. **In simple terms:** Power lies in hidden or forbidden knowledge. Key Takeaway Seek knowledge that challenges the status quo. Themes power knowledge secrecy influence Mood thoughtful analytical cautionary Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - strategic planning - research - leadership training Key Concepts epistemology political theory Questions to Reflect On - What knowledge should be shared openly? - How does secrecy affect leadership? A Different Perspective Relying on secret knowledge can breed mistrust. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) ## Related quotes > [Our thoughts hold the power to build, bend or break our circumstances.Best wishes of Makar Sankranti!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-manjare/our-thoughts-hold-the-power-to-build-bend-or-break-our-circumstances/) [Abhijit Manjare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-manjare/) > [In order to obtain and hold power a man must love it. Thus the effort to get it is not likely to be coupled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/in-order-to-obtain-and-hold-power-a-man-must-love-it-thus-the-effort/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [''In your hands you hold the power to overcome your loss and sadness.''](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/in-your-hands-you-hold-the-power-to-overcome-your-loss-and-sadness/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) > [“Words hold power. They can bring you from the lowest low to an ultimate high in a matter of moments, and just the opposite,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/belle-aurora/words-hold-power-they-can-bring-you-from-the-lowest-low-to-an/) [Belle Aurora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/belle-aurora/) > [I thought one way to try to hold on to the power was to write the script myself. That way, I could say to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-donoghue/i-thought-one-way-to-try-to-hold-on-to-the-power-was-to-write-the/) [Emma Donoghue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-donoghue/) > [Too often we forget our principles in order to hold onto power; I will always put principles first, not my own power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-wiley/too-often-we-forget-our-principles-in-order-to-hold-onto-power-i-will/) [Maya Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-wiley/) > [In a democracy, supposedly we hold power by what we do at the ballot box, so therefore the more we know about political power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/in-a-democracy-supposedly-we-hold-power-by-what-we-do-at-the-ballot/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [“We hardly ever realize it, that we have the ability to cut anything out of our lives, any pain, any misery, any negative person,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-n-harris/we-hardly-ever-realize-it-that-we-have-the-ability-to-cut-anything/) [José N. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-n-harris/) > [“In Cainsville, town elders still hold power. They’ll protect you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelley-armstrong/in-cainsville-town-elders-still-hold-power-they-ll-protect-you/) [Kelley Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelley-armstrong/) > [Some people won't be happy until they've pushed you to the ground. What you have to do is have the courage to stand your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-schoenrock/some-people-won-t-be-happy-until-they-ve-pushed-you-to-the-ground/) Donna Schoenrock > [As women, we know that we must always find ways to change the process because the present institutions want to hold on to power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-abzug/as-women-we-know-that-we-must-always-find-ways-to-change-the-process/) [Bella Abzug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-abzug/) > [Hezbollah will support Assad to the end because his continuing hold on power is critical to its own survival.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ehud-barak/hezbollah-will-support-assad-to-the-end-because-his-continuing-hold/) [Ehud Barak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ehud-barak/) > [Women hold all the power. They should use it like a whip, not offer it up like a sacrifice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarryn-fisher/women-hold-all-the-power-they-should-use-it-like-a-whip-not-offer-it/) [Tarryn Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarryn-fisher/) > [Relationships are never about power, and one way to avoid the will to hold power over another is to chose to limit to onself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/relationships-are-never-about-power-and-one-way-to-avoid-the-will-to/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) > [We do not do well except when we know where the best is and when we are assured that we have touched it and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-joubert/we-do-not-do-well-except-when-we-know-where-the-best-is-and-when-we/) [Joseph Joubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-joubert/) ## More by Michael Davidow > [“And when you fall, because you always do fall. When you swim for the beach to catch your board. There’s peace to be found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-davidow/and-when-you-fall-because-you-always-do-fall-when-you-swim-for-the/) [Michael Davidow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-davidow/) > [“Love to love, connection to connection, you carve your complicated path through life; leave one love behind, and the next one always seems out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-davidow/love-to-love-connection-to-connection-you-carve-your-complicated-path/) [Michael Davidow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-davidow/) > [“Did you know that Judaism is based on paradigm shifts, Henry? First came Abraham, then came Moses. Then came the prophets, then came the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-davidow/did-you-know-that-judaism-is-based-on-paradigm-shifts-henry-first/) [Michael Davidow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-davidow/) > [“The back door beckons to a prodigal son.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-davidow/the-back-door-beckons-to-a-prodigal-son/) [Michael Davidow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-davidow/) > [“They were free to be what they wanted to be, and what they wanted to be was nothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-davidow/they-were-free-to-be-what-they-wanted-to-be-and-what-they-wanted-to/) [Michael Davidow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-davidow/) > [“A monarch butterfly has top brand recognition, an excellent recall quotient, and highly favorable demographics. Associate your candidate with famous lepidoptera, and use these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-davidow/a-monarch-butterfly-has-top-brand-recognition-an-excellent-recall/) [Michael Davidow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-davidow/) > [“People believe in something, they themselves don’t know what it is, it isn’t a good thing, but it stands for a good thing. Because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-davidow/people-believe-in-something-they-themselves-don-t-know-what-it-is-it/) [Michael Davidow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-davidow/) [Explore all 8 Michael Davidow quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-davidow/) ## More Know quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [“To know someone, to be known. That matters more than he'd ever thought it would.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianna-baggott/to-know-someone-to-be-known-that-matters-more-than-he-d-ever-thought/) [Julianna Baggott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianna-baggott/) > [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [If we will not interfere with our thought, but will act entirely, or see how the thing stands in God, we know the particular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-we-will-not-interfere-with-our-thought-but-will-act-entirely-or/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [Don't get too attached to someone you know you can't be together with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/don-t-get-too-attached-to-someone-you-know-you-can-t-be-together-with/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [I know what you're thinking... and you oughtta be ashamed of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-preston/i-know-what-you-re-thinking-and-you-oughtta-be-ashamed-of-yourself/) Robert Preston > [I would have done well as a gypsy child, I think. A circus baby. I coulda played a great street urchin or ragamuffin. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-lyonne/i-would-have-done-well-as-a-gypsy-child-i-think-a-circus-baby-i/) [Natasha Lyonne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-lyonne/) > [You will never know just how beautiful you are to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-will-never-know-just-how-beautiful-you-are-to-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I know how hard it is to be a woman, especially a black woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/i-know-how-hard-it-is-to-be-a-woman-especially-a-black-woman/) [Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/) > [I have always been a big meta guy because I think the way journalism is practiced in Washington, and the way everyone sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/i-have-always-been-a-big-meta-guy-because-i-think-the-way-journalism/) [Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/) > [“Take your time to find and understand what you don’t know and in the end, you shall know that it is not all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/take-your-time-to-find-and-understand-what-you-don-t-know-and-in-the/) [Ernest Agyemang Yeboah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) Browse all 22,299 Know quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“To hold power in this world is to know things that others do not want to know.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Davidow" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-davidow/to-hold-power-in-this-world-is-to-know-things-that-others-do-not-want/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Know" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-davidow/to-hold-power-in-this-world-is-to-know-things-that-others-do-not-want/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/544/michael-davidow-47225_know_to-hold-power-in-this-world-is-to-know-t_2997026.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/544/michael-davidow-47225_know_to-hold-power-in-this-world-is-to-know-t_2997026.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/544/michael-davidow-47225_know_to-hold-power-in-this-world-is-to-know-t_2997026.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To hold power in this world is to know things that others do not want to know.” — Michael Davidow", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Michael Davidow", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-davidow/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“To hold power in this world...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-davidow/to-hold-power-in-this-world-is-to-know-things-that-others-do-not-want/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-davidow/to-hold-power-in-this-world-is-to-know-things-that-others-do-not-want/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```