So you’ve read Part One of this series, as well as my soapbox sermon on losers. You’ve done your homework, and you’re all fired up now, right? Well if not, rewind and get it done. If so, you’re ready to continue your climb!
The Importance of Knowledge
It is better to be unborn than untaught: for ignorance is the root of misfortune. -Plato
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The Knowledge Cycle
Acquire
You must acquire the kind of knowledge that is useful and applicable to your field of endeavor. For instance, if you wish to become a lawyer, then you would need to know how to write correspondence, general knowledge of all areas of law, and specific knowledge as far as your field of practice is concerned. Generally speaking, it doesnt help an entertainer to know how to assemble an engine any more than it helps a lawyer to know how to fly a plane, but dont pass up the chance to gain familiarity with anything that has anything to do with your field of pursuit. As you dig through piles of research papers and gigs of data, you may feel overwhelmed at the amount of information at your hands; dont pressure yourself to become an overnight expert! Expertise is developed over many years. At this point in the game, you are aiming for familiarity.Remember that picture of the road to success city in Part 1 of this series? Think of every little bit of knowledge that you gain as fuel that will get you further down that road.
There’s no better source of knowledge available to you than the people that are in the position that you want to be in, so don’t limit yourself to books and text online for the bulk of your knowledge. Proverbs says “A single conversation across the table with a wise man is better than ten years study of books”, and that wisdom still holds true today. With some maneuvering and networking, you can align yourself with people that can open doors for you faster than a college degree or an entire library worth of information can.
Apply and Verify
Its not so much what you know as what you can do with what you know that matters here. There is an old Chinese proverb that goes like this: “To know and not to do is to not yet know”
“Arthur, wtf is that supposed to mean?” Glad you asked! Simply put, it means that if you think you know something, but have never done it, you dont know shit. It is easy to go through courses or read books on a subject, but until you actually put that information into action, your knowledge is missing a critical dimension. Dont confuse studying with progress! The only thing that facilitates progress is action! You are not in the business of collecting information.
Verifying the truth of the knowledge that you have gained is easy, and necessary, since some of your sources wont be as good as others.
Update
Updating your knowledge is absolutely critical. If you are entering a field that is full of competitors, he who has the most up to date information will lead. Stay up to date on changes in your industry by reading magazines, newspapers, and trade publications, and using online tools like twitter and Google trends.
Homework
In part one of this series, you wrote down goals in specific areas of your life. Now you must acquire the knowledge that is relevant to those goals. Go to LinkedIn and participate in discussions, use Myspace to network with pros instead of hoes, and use the power of the internet to facilitate your knowledge cycle.
World Domination with Arthur Pledger 