Odds, Ends and Stray Musings: Three Types of People

 

The world can be split into 3 groups of people

 

1. Those who know less than they need to.
2. Those who know about as much as they need to.
3. Those who know more than they need to.

 

There are only a few things the average person needs to know about, say, showers, car tyres and garden plants to get by (as long as there are experts to call on). But there are things that many people ought to know but don’t, which is having a detrimental effect on their ability to get by. Things like how to treat people to maximise relationships, how to get the best out of your work life, and knowledge about optimum health and nutrition, to name but three. 

Lastly, those who know more than they need to fall into two camps, those who have invested more time than they need to on things, and those who acquire the knowledge they need and then dig deeper, ask more questions, and acquire knowledge that most others don’t even think about. At first glance, this might look like excess. But in reality, it’s the surplus of knowledge in this group that drives progress for human civilisation.

Group 3’s curiosity and mastery are not just personal quirks; they are the foundation on which society advances. While Groups 1 and 2 operate within what is necessary for survival, Group 3 explores what is possible for progress and pushes us into new frontiers.