Intelligence was thought to be the most scarce resource to lead to success.
Today, that’s changing, and I want to make an argument that another resource overtakes that title.
Intelligence is being “democratized”. Everyone has access to it today.
What is intelligence?
I think it’s simply the ability to make good decisions (learn, analyze, and pick the best option).
For the first time in human history, we can outsource intelligence to a machine.
While we were able to do so for years when it comes to mathematical and computational problems, it’s the first time we’re able to simply “talk” about our non-computational problems and get suggested answers and decisions.
Today, I can tell a large language model about the situation I’m in and get instant advice on what to do to achieve a goal I desire.
What remains is:
- How badly do I want it? (ambition/hunger)
- Will I actually get it done? (discipline)
- Do I really want it / is it worth pursuing? (wisdom)
I think wisdom comes as a result of doing many things (experience) which then makes it a function of discipline (doing things). So let’s park that on the side for a bit.
Discipline itself is the ability to do hard things even when one doesn’t want to (grit, put in the work, etc.)
Discipline becomes easy when someone wants something badly enough or when their back is against the wall and they have to perform (i.e. ambition/hunger).
Therefore, I think everything is the function of ambition/hunger.
That’s the resource in short supply today.
I’ve had this belief for some time now:
You can do anything you want to do if you want it badly. If you don’t do it, then you don’t want it badly enough.
This is more and more true today.
If you want it badly enough (ambition, desire, need) then you will be disciplined enough to do what it takes (learn, work, sacrifice).
And today, you need a much smaller “intelligence” component to figure it out (critical thinking, analysis, etc)
I’m not saying that these things will stop being important – on the contrary! I think whoever has them (on top of ambition/hunger) will outperform as always, but the barrier to entry of today’s conventional definition of “success” (e.g. build a successful “tech” company) will vanish, and everyone will be able to do it without the intelligence they would’ve needed 5-10 years ago.
I can go through a rabbit hole on what makes people “hungry” or ambitious, but maybe another day… it’s another topic of interest of mine.
Chip on the shoulder? Napoleon syndrome? Middle child? Migrant chip? The list goes on…
Someone should study this and classify chips on the shoulder into archetypes similar to Jungian archetypes.
Quick tip to walk away with: IMO a fun way to do life is: hunger/ambition ⇒ discipline ⇒ financial freedom ⇒ fun & learning ⇒ wisdom
Questions that are unanswered for me:
- how do you birth hunger/ambition?
- should you birth hunger/ambition? < wisdom
- how can you spot talent with hunger/ambition before anyone else does? (investment, recruitment)
Stay hungry ✊🏻 (or don’t ✌🏻)
One Comment on ““The Most Scarce Resource””
So intelligence take the same place as talent and talent is considered as a born with superiority. But intelligence really can be attached to wisdom, cause if you are not gifted _ born with intelligence _ and the ability to learn faster as a machine do nowadays you will be wise enough to realize that wisdom came from trying and trying over again not the experience it self that give you wisdom whereas you abelity and flexibility to go through the experiance it may be an experience in life that life put you in or you decided to be in you wanted it badly enough to be in.
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I was born fat so i decided to lose weight
I make a decision didn’t make it the first time why it is a problem that i didn’t solve try again make it to the perfect weight no i want to build muscles i do follow an other diet an other exercise.
Here i am wise enough to be a couch.
Same situation an other person
Was born fat did not make the decision did not make it not wise
Wanna lose weight try once didn’t make it give up no wisdom on it
Another one was bord slim no need for all of that
Other slim person decided to go and be build muscles and he did it so who is wise enough to be a couch.
The one who did 2 circles losing then gaining weight or the other who just gained weight.
This is an experience life put you through what about the experience that you take a decision to put yourself through like business so you get me.
So as a summary:
The more problem you go through the more you solve theme the wiser you are.
Wisdom is a baby of the time cause people don’t make, dont go through, don’t even face thier own problem so they white for life to give not only problems to solve but rather white for it to force them to solve the old once and i am one of those so i can’t lie, and that neeeeeeeeeeeeedes time alot of it.