You know, I’ve been thinking a lot about that idea that “A citizen’s power comes from the willingness to connect.” It’s not about official titles or positions. Real power, the kind that builds things, comes from our relationships.
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Meaning
It means genuine influence in a community isn’t granted by a title or a law. It’s generated when people choose to build relationships and work together informally.
Explanation
Look, I’ve seen this play out so many times. We’re conditioned to think power is top-down, right? That it comes from a manager, a mayor, a system. But McKnight and Block hit on a deeper truth. The most resilient, powerful communities are built on a web of informal connections—the neighbor who organizes a block party, the parent who starts a tutoring swap. That’s the real engine. It’s a shift from seeing power as something you *have* to something you *do* with others. It’s generative.
Quote Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (3669) |
| Category | Community (61) |
| Topics | citizenship (5), connection (265), power (15) |
| Literary Style | concise (408), direct (414) |
| Emotion / Mood | empowering (174), reflective (382) |
| Overall Quote Score | 75 (124) |
Origin & Factcheck
This comes straight from their 2010 book, “The Abundant Community,” which was really a product of their work in the United States focusing on asset-based community development. You sometimes see this sentiment echoed elsewhere, but this is the original source and it’s perfectly attributed.
Attribution Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Author | John McKnight (51) |
| Source Type | Book (4032) |
| Source/Book Name | The Abundant Community: Awakening the Power of Families and Neighborhoods (51) |
| Origin Timeperiod | 21st Century (1891) |
| Original Language | English (3669) |
| Authenticity | Verified (4032) |
Author Bio
John McKnight, Professor Emeritus at Northwestern University had spent decades of his life helping people rediscover the power of relationships. Being, co-founder of the ABCD Institute, his core idea revolves around communities that grows by identifying and connecting their assets. You’ll find the John McKnight book list here which are anchored by Building Communities from the Inside Out, The Careless Society, The Abundant Community, and The Connected Community.
| Official Website
Where is this quotation located?
| Quotation | A citizen’s power comes from the willingness to connect, not from authority |
| Book Details | Publication Year/Date: 2010; ISBN/Unique Identifier: 9781605095844; Last edition: 2012; Number of pages: 192. |
| Where is it? | Chapter: The Citizen Shift, Approximate page from 2012 edition: 34 |