Thread: Entrepreneur
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Old September 22, 2003, 11:38 PM
Thomas Rice
 
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Default Re: My Radical Theory of Entrepreneur

> The only child's companion is its mind.
> Without a brother/sister constantly around,
> the only child can "think for
> itself." The only child gets time away
> from "the system." The only child
> is FORCED to entertain itself (think). To
> "go it alone." To "figure
> things out." There is no fallback for
> an only child.

I think the heart of this statement is about learning to think independently, and to be able to analyse the facts and make your own decisions. An entrepreneur is someone who strikes out on their own, sees opportunities others have overlooked, and is the driving force behind his actions.

Independent thinking is very important for this, and I think it's the reason why many entrepreneurs cite the need for 'independence' as a primary motivation, and why they may not like the dynamics of being in a standard 'job', viewing it as being constrained under the direction of others.

With this in mind, I think that your observation about only childs is consistent with the idea that an only child is more likely to develop independent thinking, as they don't have as much guidance from siblings and so forth.

However if independent thining is the main factor, and I think it is definately one of them, this is really a skill that can be learned, and is developed primarily through the way you have been taught and learn as well as the people you are surrounded by.

Here's an example. At some university courses people learn how to do things. They are practical courses, and you learn how to do a particular role or job. These courses, in my opinion, don't teach you how to think.

Other courses talk about theory and make you write long essays and reason things out. Some people criticize these courses because they may not give you the practical skills you'll need on-job. In my opinion, the purpose of these courses is to teach you how to think -- how to think independently, critically, and thoroughly.

- Thomas.




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