I’ve been writing these emails for a while now and something has recently occurred to me. You know, the greats aren’t really all that great after all.
You see, the all-time greats like Mother Theresa, Gandhi, Jesus, et al. Have something in common with our modern day greats like Richard Branson, Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs, Rachael Ray (ok maybe not her) What is it you ask? Well, they knew early on that they were different.
What I’m talking about here is the simple thing that many people overlook about success and what it takes. All these people had one thing in common. Every single one of them was not a product of our modern education system.
I’m not going to go on a rant about the education system, but let’s think back. Our modern education system was founded by the British to create cookie cutter employees, people that could be easily replaced because if one person didn’t work out, they could easily drop someone else in there.
Fact: The average billionaire (that’s with a “B”) that dropped out of school makes more than anyone and just about everyone that has a degree or even a post-graduate degree. In fact, “The average US bachelor’s degree recipient doesn’t recoup the cost of obtaining a degree (measured as tuition paid, plus wages lost from not being in the workforce for 4 years) until age 34.” – College Board
It’s gotten to the point that even grandparents are now in debt up to their eyeballs due to the fact that we’ve been sold this disastrous bill of goods. The problem is clear, we aren’t earning more because we aren’t learning more. And this doesn’t just apply to money. It’s across the board.
Because we are all taught to think basically the same way, innovation is rare and so is greatness, to some extent. Those aforementioned names all had the wherewithal to do something different. They found their passions early and decided that it was not in their plans to make someone else rich before they worked on their own success.
But all is not lost. You too can be great broseph. You’re still alive right? Well, the key to being great, even if you’ve already given everyone else a headstart is to keep learning (and applying).
These days, it’s even more important to find a way that you as an individual can work on your own personal greatness. The workforce is expanding while the demands for these workers is decreasing and becoming more and more automated (roboticized).
Meanwhile, universities and schools are still handing out the same degrees and diplomas that qualify us for jobs more suitable for someone who would drive to work in a model T while wearing plus fours or a day dress.
You want to be great?…Great! This is how you do it. Stop complaining about the economy, taxes, the government, and other people none of those things affect you as much as your (in)ability to learn beyond the walls of a schoolhouse.
Jerry “always learning” Washington
P.S. None for today, I think I’ve said enough.
