The Currencies of Intellectual Wealth.

When Mahatma Gandhi renounced all worldly possessions, he kept only two items:

His watch and his glasses.

Symbolically, the watch represented TIME, while the glasses represented ATTENTION.

Gandhi's insight was profound and timeless: the most FUNDAMENTAL currencies of human existence are our Time and Attention.

10 years lost in a coma are 10 years forever GONE.

As I share knowledge with you, YOU ARE PAYING ME with your time and attention.

In the modern world, those who DEAL attention get FILTHY RICH—think Meta, X, Google.

Attention is worth more than OIL/GOLD/BTC/WHATEVER.

But Time stands out as the most precious resource in the world.

Can you name something more valuable?

Downloading knowledge isn't free.

It requires payment in the form of Time and Attention.

Here is the Knowledge Equation:

K ∝ (A*T)

Knowledge acquired is proportional to Attention multiplied by Time

This simplified equation offers a rational perspective on the transaction involved in learning.

It doesn't account for factors like sleep or prior experience but sheds light on the essence of the learning process.

Whether you allocate an hour amidst TikTok distractions or dedicate three focused minutes, the depth of retained knowledge CORRELATES with the time and attention invested.

In essence, the OPTIMAL state of mind for learning is COMPLETE FOCUS over an EXTENDED PERIOD: Attention multiplied by Time.

The two components SYNERGIZE to maximize the learning experience.

So, the next time you want to learn something, remember: to retain the most knowledge, maximize both your attention and time investment.

They are, after all, the currencies of true intellectual wealth.

- Romain from @Ancient_Mastery