The most valuable currency in the world is information. However, not
all information holds equal value – some information is much more
valuable than other information. In addition, the very same information
can be more or less valuable from day to day. How can that be?
Information itself, while holding some intrinsic value, increases or
decreases in value depending on the situation in which you find
yourself.
Some information, while useless under most circumstances, can be
found to hold immense value under other conditions. Having knowledge of
hunting, skinning and butchering is useless for most people – until, of
course, they find themselves in a situation in which they need that
knowledge in order to survive.
That’s where information holds its value – when it is necessary for
survival. Since surviving is becoming less and less of an issue for
people every year, the only other true use of information – arguably an
even more important use – is to give people the opportunity to thrive.
Information is power – when used correctly. In life, there are two
main types of information, or types of intellect if you will: There are
those who have book smarts and then there are those who have street
smarts. Although some would like to argue otherwise, the fact is that
both of these sorts of smarts are learned.
You aren’t born with information; you collect it over the years.
Whether one is more versed in street smarts or book smarts depends on
the circumstances one has grown up under. While many, if not most,
people hold book smarts in the highest regard, the truth is that street
smarts hold immeasurable value.
In a way, while having book smarts relies on learning and holding on
to facts, street smarts relies more on the practical uses of information
that has already been acquired. For this reason, to be a fully rounded
and powerful individual one must be well-versed in both forms of
intellect.
To thrive in life, you can’t simply hold on to information. Facts
themselves have little more use than the pleasure a person can derive
from them directly. In order to truly use information to your advantage,
you have to be capable of implementing the knowledge you hold into your
life and then leveraging what you know to get what you want.
Knowledge is a weapon. In order to have power, you must either use
that weapon or be privy to ways of using that information to benefit you
most. This is important for all people to understand, regardless of
what they do or how they live their lives. As human beings, we are
always “strutting our stuff,” trying to show others that they are worthy
of respect and admiration.
However, there are some individuals who have no choice, but to learn
how to use information as lethal weapons. There are those who live in a
world that is far more cutthroat than most. Well, there are really two
types of individuals who are well trained in information warfare, but I
was never very much interested in the lives of politicians. The real
sharks in the sea, as far as I’m concerned, are entrepreneurs.
For an entrepreneur, having book smarts is important, yet not quite
as important as street smarts. Entrepreneurs must have a great
understanding of the environment they are working in. They must
understand their business, the country they are doing business in, their
customers, the market, and whatever else might affect their business.
This sort of information is immensely valuable because it gives the
entrepreneur a clear picture of what he or she has to work with. The
road to attaining anything a person wants in life can be depicted with
an equation – an equation with many variables. Having book smarts allows
the entrepreneur a better understanding of the influential variables at
play.
Without such information, the entrepreneur will fail. If you are
going to work within a system, then you have to understand that system.
As it stands now, each individual in the world lives and works within a
functioning system.
Now, while having such book smarts benefits the entrepreneur greatly,
what is even more valuable for him or her is street smarts. While book
smarts arguably make us human, street smarts are what make us animals.
For an animal, it’s all about surviving. It’s all about killing or being
killed. Because of the comfort we find ourselves in these days, it’s
easy to forget that we are little more than animals.
Because entrepreneurs purposefully put themselves into uncomfortable
situations, they understand the importance of getting back in touch with
the animal inside them. It’s the animal that is hungry. It’s the animal
that has pride, that wants more out of life, that wants to conquer,
fight and kill.
If you want more than average out of life then you need to be street
smart, you need to get in touch with your animalistic side. If you want
to be an entrepreneur then you have to let go of much of your human
instincts and revert back to being the animal your ancestors started out
as.
Being an entrepreneur – and believe me when I tell you, this is no
exaggeration – you have to always be in kill mode. You have to always be
looking out for yourself and your interests. You have to watch your
back.
You have to have a clear understanding of your environment and your
capabilities – both strengths and weaknesses. As an entrepreneur, others
will try to get you. They will do their best to ruin you, to take away
from you all that you have worked so hard on because they want what you
have.
Entrepreneurs don’t just create; they take. The reality of the world
we live in is that there are really only two types of individuals. There
are the fish in the sea that try to just get by and then there are the
sharks that will tear apart anything that stands in their way.
That’s the way it has always been and that’s the way that it always
will be. Now let me ask you this: How useful will you find your street
smarts when you have a 1,200 lb. shark closing in on your jugular? If
you’re going to be swimming in deep waters, then always choose to be a
shark.
Source :
http://elitedaily.com/money/entrepreneurship/entrepreneurship-book-smarts-vs-street-smarts/636348/
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