Scientia potentia est that with knowledge or education, one's potential or abilities in life will certainly increase. Having and sharing knowledge is widely recognized as the basis for improving one's reputation and influence, thus power. This phrase may also be used as a justification for a reluctance to share information when a person believes that withholding knowledge can deliver to that person some forms of advantage. Another interpretation is that the only true power is knowledge, as everything (including any achievement) is derived from it. Terry Brooks. "First King of Shannara" Ballantine. C. 1996 Scientia potentia est The phrase "scientia potentia est"" (or
Latin word order be used as an auxiliary verb (e.g. "interfectus est" "he was killed"), as a copula (e.g. "dives erat" "he was rich") or as an existential verb, specifying the existence of something. As an existential verb, "est" (or its past tense "erat") often goes at the beginning of the sentence: Of these two orders, the first (with the locative phrase between the verb and the noun) is by far the most common. The second example above is unusual in that it does not present new information but merely reminds the reader of what has already been said ("There was a valley,