I Don't Know Enough, To Know That I Don't Know

It is said that knowledge is power. I don't refute this fact, but rather question the extent of the phrase. Just how do we decide who has knowledge and who does not? I'm sure we have all met people with lofty college degrees (or higher) that can't seem to apply their expensive education to any facet of their life ... at all. And on the other side of the coin, there are people with nothing more than a high school diploma or GED (and in some cases much less) that always manage to persevere and excel at any task or job. For some reason, most of us judge (and are judged) by the piece of paper acquired from a institution of higher learning ... whether we are able, capable, or even have any clue on how to do something, never seems to be figured into the evaluation process. I agree that an education, of any sort, is an invaluable tool to the success of anyone. But, I can't help but wonder how many companies, factories, and other corporations missed out on hiring the one person who may have invented the next "big thing" because their application didn't include a slew of certificates ... but their brain did.