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Think and Grow Rich–Understanding the Role of Specialized Knowledge

“There are two kinds of knowledge”, states Napoleon Hill, author of “Think and Grow Rich; “one is general and the other specialized”. Contrary to most educational systems Mr. Hill believed that general knowledge in and of itself was worth little, regardless of “quantity or variety”.

 

He further believed that knowledge is not power, as many to this day believe and state, but rather the potential for power. Knowledge, according to him, has a conditional requirement for power. It must be organized into a definite plan of action with a definite direction.

 

Mr. Hill says, “An educated man is not, necessarily, one who has an abundance of general or specialized knowledge”. Furthermore he states, “An educated man is one who has so developed the faculties of his mind that he may acquire anything he wants, or its equivalent, without violating the rights of others”.

 

He cites Henry Ford as an example. Mr. Ford was not concerned with having great general knowledge. If he needed the answer to a question that he didn’t know, he simply asked one of his employees that were experts in their field. Today we would call that a master mind group.

 

So was Napoleon Hill anti-knowledge?  Certainly not! He realized that only applied and directed knowledge had value, and that no one person had to posses it all personally.

 

So what does specialized knowledge have to do with thinking and growing rich?

 

“Think and Grow Rich”, does not state that riches will just appear. But rather to the willing mind, a way will open to acquire them through some sort of action. In Mr. Hill’s personal experience, this action most often required a special type of knowledge.

 

 Specialized knowledge as he defined it is, “knowledge of the service, merchandise or profession which you intend to offer in return for fortune”. Many examples are given in his text of this process, but the cases are all similar. There is a call for action, a demand for special knowledge and then an action to be taken.

 

A simple illustration may explain it best. Often times we need to get from point A to point B in life. This process will require us to take action. In order to accomplished this we need to have or gain specific information, a specific skill, provide a service, etc. As we acquire and utilize these things we can begin to make the transition toward our goal.

 

A secondary result, he noted, will often occur at this point. An idea will be born with the addition of imagination to our specialized knowledge. It’s sort of like being in the right place at the right time and all the right things are in place.

 

The birth of this idea is our moment of opportunity. It’s the seizing, or rather our seizing of the moment, that can lead to our fortune.

 

“Think and Grow Rich” introduces us, the readers, to the need and the possibility of making dramatic changes in our lives and reaping the benefits. The choice is always ours. The alternative though, is to remain the same, doing the same things and seeing the same results.

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