In the past week especially, I have witnessed several examples of the advantage of knowledge. When I looked for a graphic for this post I found several with the attached quote: "knowledge is power". But in one's personal well being, I think it more accurately stated that "knowledge is empowering".

Our emotional reactions, if inadequately informed and lacking the balance provided by fact or truth, will certainly look more irrational and thus more stressful and less productive to reaching desired outcomes.  Perhaps the less information we have the more likely we are to be reactive. 

You will already know about many philosophies that support seeking further knowledge. From the Bible "seek and yee shall find".  Or  from The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, "seek first to understand and then to be understood".

There is a natural dynamic tension between the needs and preferences of the individual and the needs and preferences of those with whom we relate, especially close relationships.   Maintaining a strong sense of self in this context may produce conflict. How we handle that is the key to success and balance and one  measurement  is "differentiated vs undifferentiated".Such changes are reflected in the ability to be in emotional contact with a difficult, emotionally charged problem and not feel compelled to preach about what others should do, not rush in to fix the problem, and not pretend to be detached artificially.   The classic "fight or flight" primitive options that stressful events can create.