If thinking is categorized practically, it can be broadly split into ‘volitional thinking’ and ‘instrumental thinking.’ Volitional thinking involves the belief that to succeed, a person must have a strong will to overcome hardships and obstacles. Self-improvement falls under this category. However, to actually overcome hardships and obstacles, it is instrumental thinking that drives us to consider that we need ‘tools’ to get past them. In other words, it’s like how carpenters build houses: they construct the structure, but tools are what make it possible. There is no carpenter without tools. Both are essential for success, but if I had to emphasize one, focusing on instrumental thinking is more advantageous. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”
Let’s say I’m a potato farmer. Assuming that I can survive by eating only potatoes, I become wealthy when I work hard to increase potato production. However, to survive, we also need shelter and clothing. No matter how much money we have, we cannot eat the money itself as food. In other words, exchange is vital for survival. This means that if we have to rely on one job, we can only survive by trading needs, apart from potatoes, with other producers, using the output we gain from that job. In an agricultural society, production determined wealth, but in a modern society where industrial products have taken the place of other needs, the greater the potential for exchange between ourselves and others, the more advantageous it is for survival and the greater the potential for wealth. This is known as the power of distribution. The more sales channels you have, the stronger your business competitiveness and market influence. The ability to sell a lot is paramount. - Joseph’s “just my thoug...