"Think And Grow Rich", by Napoleon Hill

Later has arrived,

How educated do you think you are and how educated do you think you need to be in order to achieve your dreams? …What is education?

Chapter 5, “specialized knowledge”, begins with distinguishing between the different types of knowledge:

• general knowledge: no matter how great in quantity or variety it may be, is of but little use in the accumulation of money.

• specialized knowledge: knowledge will not attract money, unless it is organized, and intelligently directed, through practical plans of action, to the definite end of accumulation of money.

The school system is bombarded with general knowledge, focusing on the ‘teaching’ of knowledge but neglecting the part where what has been taught needs to be ’used’ and ‘applied’ to then make useful. In one of Robert Kiyosaki’s novels I recall reading a line that went something like this: “information is just information. Intelligence is the ability to use that information and make it resourceful.” Oh right, the book’s called “Increase Your Financial IQ. Get Smarter With Your Money.” Likewise, how Mr. Hill shun light on the phrase ‘knowledge is power’. Is it actually?

What would differentiate me who is broke but garners the knowledge to make a billion dollars and not take action or apply what I know to make the billion dollars compared to the individual who does not have an idea of making a cent? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Why? Because we are still at the same position, broke and lacking any money much less a billion dollars. So, does knowledge in fact equate to power? Probably not.

Knowledge is the POTENTIAL of power. The only time knowledge becomes powerful is only when, AND IF, it is organized into definite plans of action and directed to a definite end.

How do you then rank knowledge or estimate how educated someone is? Based on their level of education? How far they went in schooling? How many books he/she read?

Education: The word “educate” is derived from the Latin word “educo “, meaning to educe, to draw out, to develop from within. Therefore, an educated man is one who has so developed the faculties of his mind that he may acquire anything he wants, or its equivalent, without violating the rights of others.

Let me come up with another comparison. Who do you think is more educated: the man who has access to a ‘master mind’ of alliances or the man who has the specialized knowledge within himself? Hey man, I would say they’re indeed equal. At the end of the day who can receive the information they so desire? Both. It goes to show that you do not need to everything to succeed in life, lol, you’ll never know all the tricks and definitions and shortcuts to life but someone must know a little of something, whether it’s through formal schooling, personal experience, gaining wisdom from other people’s experiences and relaying it unto you, public libraries, special training courses, to name a few. Remember, I think in chapter 1, when a guy was 3 feet away from the gold mine? Always seek expert advice.

Some vocab for the day:

• libel: a published false statement that is damaging to person’s reputation; a written defamation.

• vocation: a strong feeling of suitability for a particular career or occupation; life’s work; calling; mission; purpose.

The chapter also portrayed a different perspective on how majority view “starting from the bottom” to get where you desire in life a good place to begin. The major objection to it is that too many of those who begin at the bottom never manage to lift their heads high enough to be seen by opportunity, so they remain at the bottom. The outlook from the bottom is not so very bright or encouraging. How I internalize it is by imagining myself in a 35 feet deep well without any assistance like a ladder or shoes that can hook on to the wall for grip or even a rope. The book calls it “getting into a rut”. We accept our fate because we form the habit of daily routine, a habit that finally becomes so strong we cease to try to throw it off.

However, what if you used what you had to your advantage to be one or two steps ahead of the bottom? Seeing opportunity and embracing it without hesitation. There’s probably a friend at the top of the well with the longest rope in the world but you simply forgot to stay the safe word “ready!!”.

Lines that stood out to me:

• “To a large extent your major purpose in life, the goal toward which you are working, will help determine what knowledge you need.”

• “As knowledge is acquired it must be organized and put into use, for a definite purpose, through practical plans.”

• “Anything acquired without effort, and without cost is generally unappreciated, often discredited.”

• “The self-discipline one receives from a definite program of specialized study makes up to some extent for the wasted opportunity when knowledge was available without cost.”

• “It pays to know how to purchase knowledge.”

• “Doing a thing well never is trouble!”

• “All the world loves a winner, and has no time for a loser.”

• “We rise to high positions or remain the bottom because of conditions we can control if we desire to control them.”

• “There is no fixed price for sound ideas!”

• “I believe that close association with one who refuses to compromise with circumstances he does not like is an asset that can never be measured in terms of money.”

Keep learning.