We have probably heard of many personalities, young and old, within and outside our individual country, who have done and are still doing great things that have changed the world to better and redirected people’s ways of thinking and living; people such as Jesus Christ, Muhammad, Andrew Carnegie, Nelson Mandela, Wole Soyinka, Aliko Dangote, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Martin Luther King Jr., Mohandas Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Margaret Thatcher, Pele, E. A. Adeboye, Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Mark zuck, Barack Obama, Malala Yousafzai, Akerele S. Bamijoko, Leke Alder, Albert Einstein, Don Moen, etc. their number is limitless. Looking through this list, whatever names you are able to identify or that you can categorize as one of them are not there because of their later status (wealthy and rich), the only thing that qualifies any of them in that list is no other thing than their KNOWLEDGEABILITY.
There are many rich and powerful people in the world whose names are not qualified to be in this list because they have never made any positive contribution to the development of the world. The people listed above are those who become rich and wealthy after they have positively influenced their society. Not all of them are wealthy, but most wealthy people in the world depend on this kind of people’s works for sustainability of their lives and businesses. God says, “My people perish for their lack of knowledge” not lack of money. It is knowledge that makes the difference.
(And that’s why my taking in these four series post is to help you understand the concept of knowledge and other concepts in relation to it, such as Intelligence, Wisdom and Thinking; and how to get more knowledge without much stress).
YOUR NEED TO BECOME THE BEST IN THE WORLD
The only thing you need more of to change the world to better is knowledge. More of knowledge makes you knowledgeable, and ability to apply the knowledge is called wisdom. The functionality of wisdom, understanding, discernment, insight, innovation and ideas in the life of an individual is centered on just one thing and one thing alone: knowledge (information).
Knowledge simply means what you know about something or information you have about something. For instance, whatever you know of your parents is your knowledge of them. So more of your knowledge about something makes you knowledgeable in the thing. For instance, let's say you are a footballer, the more you know about football makes you a knowledgeable footballer. If you are a doctor of any kind, the more you know on how to treat and save your patients makes you a knowledgeable doctor.
NOTE: To be knowledgeable does not mean you have to know something about everything. Just make sure you know a lot about your field of profession. Be it law, dancing, banking, engineering, football or any game, businesses, teaching, singing, etc. It is knowledge that makes the difference between one end and the other.
Therefore, the major secret of the world changers and impacts makers (of whatever professions) is the knowledge they have, and their wisdom which is the ability to apply the knowledge. Wisdom simply means know how to use the knowledge which you have or understanding how to use your knowledge. In simple term wisdom means acting on what you know and as you know it to be best. For instance, let's say as a dancer, you have acquired lot of knowledge about dancing and know more about dancing steps, your wisdom shows up in your ability to take those dancing steps as you are dancing – you jump when you ought to jump, you stand still when you ought to do so, etc.
In a minute way, wisdom means right solution to a problem. That ability to do the right at the right time in whatever you are into is what is called wisdom.
SOMEONE ASKED ME, "DON'T YOU NEED TO BE INTELLIGENT TO CHANGE THE WORLD TO BETTER?"
I answered the fellow, "You need to be. Because those who are, are the only one who have the probability of changing the world if they are wise, that is, if they have wisdom."
The person looked at me and asked me, "Did you say, 'Those who are intelligent will change the world and be impacts makers?"
I said, "Yes!" Without even thinking it twice.
The fellow looked at me with pity eyes as if I had fallen into an entangled trap, and confidently with low voice he asked, "Didn't you first say that, ‘The only thing you need more of to change the world to better is KNOWLEDGE?'" Quoting my exact statement.
"That's true. You heard me well." I replied.
"Okay, do you mean to say that KNOWLEDGE and INTELLIGENCE is the same or do you mean that intelligence is more important than knowledge?" He further asked.
"NO!" I said emphatically with confidence and I continued. "Knowledge and intelligence is not the same; and they shouldn't be term as such, if you want to achieve something with them. The difference between the two is clear and obvious enough to be taken as being the same thing. And they are not of the same functioning that one should be more important than the other, though one leads to acquisition of the other."
THE EXPLANATION IN DETAIL
Intelligence is not actually what most people think it is. It is misused of words in qualification that have brought us to that confusion of things. We say somebody is 'intelligent' when we meant to say the person is 'knowledgeable'. To be intelligent is NOT a special thing that only few people are now intelligent. The true fact and unbeatable truth about intelligence is that ALL HUMAN BEINGS are intelligent. You are intelligent regardless of who you are.
Nevertheless, once again I say, 'knowledge is the only material you need for excellence. That excellence also can only manifest when wisdom is applied to the knowledge.' Intelligence becomes relevant because it has much to do in KNOWLEDGE acquisition.
There are major four sources of knowledge:
- God: the utmost and embedded of all knowledge, the all knowing.
- Environment: nature, atmosphere, etc.
- People: teachers, speakers, preachers, other human beings.
- Books: fictional and nonfictional books, magazines, newspapers, spiritual books.
Now you can acquire knowledge by reading any form of writings (books); by studying nature, things and happenings around you (environment); by listening to people from diverse fields of study and knowledge (people), and by patiently listening to the silence and the voice in your heart (God).
(To be continued...)
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