Yep, it's the Bumper Sticker of The Week, and this week's winner: Information is Power.

I'm not going to get much argument from people about this as a theoretical idea. 

If our dishwasher is rumbling, there may be a variety of causes. We can't know what will fix the appliance until we know what is the cause of the rumbling. So, information (diagnosing the cause) gives us power (the solution to the rumbling). I can't imagine anyone's going to have a problem with this analogy- I mean, who doesn't want rumbling in their dishwasher to stop, right?!!!

Where I'll get some grumbling (or rumbling even) from people is when I say that this also applies to human beings, physically and emotionally. Our toe hurting could be a result of may things. Say there's a splinter in it, but we don't know that, and we imagine all kinds of things the pain could be. Not only will be worry ourselves silly, but we won't be doing anything to solve or improve the problem. If we can ascertain that it's a splinter, we can take the splinter out or have someone help us take it out. Problem solved (and worrying solved too!).

Still not so difficult an idea. It's in the emotional realm that people with eating disorders are going to squirm around with regard to the Information is Power idea. To get the information we need we have to do that "Step A" thing- where we honestly assess and acknowledge what we feel. As we know, people who suffer from eating disorders are conflicted about knowing, accepting, feeling their emotions. And indeed, the ED behaviors mute, reduce or eliminate those emotions.

Such a bummer though, because although it may seem like a good short-term solution to get rid of our emotions, in the end it shoots us in the foot- because it robs us of many things, including Power (and things that go along with power, like Choice, Clarity, Confidence... just to name a few). 

This is yet another place in our self-work that requires big-time courage. I remind myself of that when I'm trying to help someone learn to feel his/her emotions. Even when someone discovers she wants to have more access to her Power and allow herself to feel more of her emotions, she has to work to not let her fear of those emotions rule the day and stop her in her tracks.

Here's a concrete thing you can do with this post: think about your initial reaction when you first read that phrase Information is Power. Did you feel neutral? Horrified? Nothing? Happy? Intrigued? The initial reaction you had will tell you a lot about yourself and where you are in relation to allowing yourself access to what you feel, think and believe (where you are in terms of letting yourself have Information). It's a great thing to talk about in therapy, and/or I'm happy to answer questions about anything you discover!

Comments

[Tiger]

Yes, of course Information is Power. It's what we choose to do with that information that makes it difficult. I know that if I eat more protein, I may sleep and feel better, but that means making a real effort to do so. And not sleeping well is such an ingrained habit. As far as emotions go, I really struggle with identifying them--saying "oh, I feel this way."

[Super Egg]

uh oh, squirmy wormy that wiggles away.

[PTC]

I LOVE information, therefore I guess I like power too.

[Laura]

Not sure what my emotional reaction was to that statement, but my intellectual reaction was "Yeah, but insight isn't a cure." If I KNOW what to do, why don't I do it all the time?

[Ari]

Most days I'd agree with this statement, Information IS a good thing, at least on an intellectual level.

Right now though information seems so concrete and scary, maybe that's the emotional B&W thinking talking.

Hmmm yeah not totally sure why this makes me uneasy but it does.