How Did Humans Get Smart? While most people fight to learn "in-demand" skills, smart people are learning rare skills instead. In observing other people's actions and registered thoughts, we learn from the environment we're inserted in. What you hear, what you read, the things you go through...they all shape your future decisions, as well as what you choose to do with the information you receive. Humans are smart, but they can get smarter if they wish.

How Did Humans Get Smart? While most people fight to learn "in-demand" skills, smart people are learning rare skills instead. In observing other people's actions and registered thoughts, we learn from the environment we're inserted in. What you hear, what you read, the things you go through...they all shape your future decisions, as well as what you choose to do with the information you receive. Humans are smart, but they can get smarter if they wish.

The bottom line is: each person responds differently to situations depending on how their brain is wired. That's why we all have different opinions and beliefs. Humans need different upbringings and experiences to keep the knowledge wheels turning. Besides, humans need to keep looking up to other humans. Again, human intelligence has never improved on its own, and it never will. Through the ages, humans got smarter not only by observing other humans but by refuting them, agreeing with them, and reaching their own conclusions based on a number of factors. Those include their upbringing and the situations they've encountered throughout their lives.

"If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster." - Stephen Covey. Each of these innovators and investors are saying you should focus on investments that are rare & valuable. To be an outlier, you need to be a contrarian who is smarter than the market. Whenever you're betting against the consensus, there's a significant probability you're going to be wrong, so you have to be humble. (Note: Be humble and open-minded.) If your skills match everyone else, then you're a commodity. If you want solid returns, simply learning skills everyone says are important is probably a solid bet. But, tautologically, if you want to be in the top 1%, you need to think differently than 99% of others and be right. You can't expect to follow the herd and somehow beat the herd. "You have to be odd to be number one." - Dr. Seuss. Learning rare & valuable skills is following the Hero's Journey - the most common archetypal myth that has existed across all human societies throughout time. History repeats itself. But sometimes it takes decades or even centuries to repeat itself. So people shouldn't just use their own life experience to draw big conclusions. "What do you believe is true that no one else agrees with you on?" While most people search for in-demand skills, top learners search for rare & valuable skills. Many of the scientific ideas we take as obvious were at one point heretical (the earth revolves around the sun, time is not constant), and many of the biggest technology breakthroughs seemed like toys at first (Internet). (Note: Keep this in mind. "Be the change that you wish to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi).

Learn valuable skills with hidden benefits. Humans have value blind spots. They underestimate skills with abstract, long-term payoffs; micro-skills; skills from other disciplines, and classic ideas that have been forgotten. Be first. Face difficulty. Look for hidden benefits. Redefine value.

In conclusion, human intelligence is a product of our environment, experiences, and the ability to think differently. To get smarter, we need to continue observing and learning from others, while also challenging conventional wisdom and seeking out rare and valuable skills. Additionally, it's important to be humble and open-minded, as well as to continually look for hidden benefits and redefine the value we place on certain skills and ideas. By following these principles, we can unlock our full potential and continue to evolve and improve as individuals.