Knowledge & skills

“There is a difference between knowledge and skills.  Knowledge comes and goes.  Skills stay with you.  They’re what you have left when your knowledge has succumbed to the frailties of human recollection and the passage of time.”   H. W. Kenton

As mentioned before, because of the project requirement, I need to re-visit SQL server and update my shortcoming in this techniques.  I bought a book of SQL and got the above quote.  I am sure that some techniques which I missed has been studied before.  Unfortunately, I could not recollect it when I need it; consequently, it comes and goes.  But I still have some impression on it, that is why I can recap it within a short period of time.

It is always an internal struggle within myself.  In natural selection, we need to fit the environment; in business, we need to differentiate, a way of survival. 

There not exist anything infeasible but only non-imaginable.  I heard it from many sources.  Genius is only a nano portion of the throng.  Without a minimum standard of knowledge and skills, it always remains as a dream.  By all means, we are entitled to make unlimited dream, night or day.  When we wake up, we should find a way to realize it and not keep on dreaming.

Some association of Hierarchy of Needs

Again, some idea triggered from study of History of Western Psychology – side-tracking of the Hierarchy of needs of Maslow.  According to the theory, once we are satisfied with the basic needs, we will move upwards to approaching the needs of self-actualization – from security -> love -> esteem –> self-actualization.  One thing is not highlighted by the theory is: when the environmental factors take effect, for instance, losing of a decent job, falling down from the social ladder, earning much less than before, what is the change for the need in the hierarchy and how the individual reacts to this change?  I saw quite a lot of examples around me, by all means, I myself is one of them.

The process is more or less like that: Self-defense comes first – rationalize the dropping with the aim to get back esteem; but odd enough, no need for affection, rather, do mind that if others pay too much attention on her/him; afterwards, go back to the reality and strive for living.  What critical is the back-off of needs may change the principles he/she upheld at the time he/she was moving upwards to the hierarchy.  One may no longer be objective enough (instinctoid is submerging); instead, do anything to protect its own interest.  Any hindrance will be treated as threat to survival and one will become more self-defensive.  Conspiracy thinking is common.  I don’t have any solid evidence to prove it but only subjective observation.  I also use this to remind myself from any derail from my conviction.  To my delight, I take the chance of dropping-off to do something I liked to while I did not have time to exploit – doing consulting project for small and medium size enterprises in business process re-engineering which do utilize my knowledge in accounting/finance/lean manufacturing/theory of constraints/supply chain management/I.T. (Excel/VBA/SQL).  Though the business volume may not be big enough, it is really interesting and inspiring.