Knowledge vs. Wisdom
Knowledge is knowing but wisdom is doing.
6/14/20263 min read
Knowledge is knowing but wisdom is doing. One may know the path. But it's something else to walk it.
Knowledge is the strategy. Consultants thrive on this. They lay down the plan. The step-by-step guide that will lead from here to there. It’s essential when you're playing long-term games.
I’m a thinker. I love talking about ideas. I get an ethereal joy from making up business ideas, business plans, marketing strategies, branding plays, existential philosophies, human being dynamics and mechanisms. It’s fun to apply ideas to real-world problems to derive practical insights. How do we figure out how to grow the business? Why does my anxiety make me ruminate? How do we help people perceive our tofu brand as the best?
Words can sound wise, but they are a fugazi. Many get trapped and stuck in this pattern of mental masturbation. Every great business person learns that knowledge is just the first step. Knowing something is very different than implementing it and applying it.
A person may know how to lose weight, how to build a business, how to communicate well, how to invest, how to whatever. Most people know far more than they apply.
Wisdom is in the execution. The operation. I’ve given advice to many. Very few execute on it. Yet, the magic is in the action. Esoteric ideas are cool but it takes another skill set to transform those ideas into something.
Many first-time entrepreneurs are hesitant to share their “amazing” new idea. They don’t recognize how much wisdom they lack. A seasoned businessman knows it takes a lot more than a good idea to make an impact or profit. Yet, the young entrepreneur caught up in their mental loop of how amazing their idea is, loses, because they fail to gain market feedback. So afraid of their idea being stolen, they hide it away from everyone who could aid them. The curse of knowledge and fear of others stopped them from acting. Lost in their own hype sauce.
You could have the greatest business plan ever but if you lack the discipline to act on it, then it is meaningless. It’s why having a great idea is worth so little.
The real struggle begins when we take action. We attempt to turn imagination into reality. That’s when challenges arise. Our own resistance. The negative opinions of family, friends, and society. The practical hindrances of what it takes to bring that vision to life. Success can only come to fruition once enough obstacles have been overcome.
Knowledge is knowing you should work out.
Wisdom is going to the gym when you don't feel like it.
Knowledge is knowing you should save money.
Wisdom is saying no to unnecessary spending.
Knowledge is knowing difficult conversations matter.
Wisdom is picking up the phone and having one.
Knowledge is knowing a business needs customers.
Wisdom is making sales calls instead of endlessly planning.
I once heard a quote that said something along the lines of, "Building a business is just a vehicle for self-development." Entrepreneurs masquerade as if on a profit-driven venture. Yet the greatest gain comes from how they grow and change. As a person goes forth on the journey to turn knowledge into wisdom, they evolve and become a powerful force. Becoming the version of themselves that creates more than they consume. An agent of change. A person of influence.
Artists understand this deeply. It’s one thing to picture the painting in your mind. It’s another to put it onto the canvas. It takes hours of practice to develop the skills to take what’s in your mind’s eye and make it come to life in the real world. Not to mention the consistent struggles to fight your inner bitch and overcome all the resistance to start on that blank canvas.
The last piece in this puzzle is discipline. Learning to persevere when things get boring or tough. The wisdom to discern signs as the end of the road or just detours on the path. It takes discipline to keep on executing consistently.
Knowing what you want is good. Doing what needs to be done is wisdom. While having the perseverance to carry on is discipline. There’s enough information in the world. Plenty to distract us. Yet, what we need most of all is action. For people to execute on the knowledge they’ve gained. Wisdom is taking the right action at the right time.
The gap between where you are and where you want to be is probably smaller than the gap between what you know and what you consistently execute.