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.
Share Image Quote: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.
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.
| 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) |
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.
| 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) |
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
| 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 |
In the book, they’re pushing back against the “consumer society” model, where we outsource our community needs to professionals and institutions. They argue this has made us weaker. The quote is a cornerstone of their argument for rediscovering the power we already have right next door.
This isn’t just theory. I use this lens all the time.
Think about a Community Organizer trying to get a local park cleaned up. Instead of just demanding the city do it, they focus on connecting neighbors who care—the retired gardener, the teens needing service hours. The power emerges from those connections.
Or a Team Lead in a company. Their real power to innovate doesn’t come from their title, but from their willingness to connect the quiet coder with the passionate marketer to spark a new idea.
It’s for anyone feeling powerless. The first step isn’t to get a new title, it’s to build a new connection.
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Theme | Principle (838) |
| Audiences | activists (40), citizens (22), leaders (2620), policy analysts (50), students (3112) |
| Usage Context/Scenario | civic education (5), community development programs (2), leadership training (259), public speeches (10) |
Question: Does this mean formal authority is useless?
Answer: Not at all. But it’s incomplete. Formal authority can open doors, but it’s the informal network of connected citizens that actually gets the work done and makes change stick.
Question: How is this different from just networking?
Answer: Great question. Networking is often transactional—”what can I get?” This is about building genuine, reciprocal relationships. It’s the difference between collecting business cards and knowing who you can truly count on.
Question: What if I’m an introvert? Can I still have this power?
Answer: Absolutely. It’s not about being the loudest in the room. It’s about the willingness to connect, which can look like deeply listening to one person or sharing a specific skill. It’s about authentic contribution, not personality.
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