What Really Creates the Gap Between People?

This question began to trouble me more than a decade ago when I was in my early 30s. Before that, I firmly believed there were no fundamental differences between people—whatever others could do, I could do too; I just needed to “work harder.” But after turning 30, I gradually realized that hard work alone wasn’t enough. I still wasn’t growing as quickly as those “outstanding individuals” around me.

Over a decade has passed, and the answer to this question has gone through many iterations in my mind. Whenever I thought I’d found the answer, a few years later I’d discover there was yet another layer to uncover. Even today, I know this isn’t the ultimate answer, but I can share my thinking process with you, which might provide some inspiration.

Before answering, we need to clarify the question. The given condition is comparing people with people, the implicit condition is acknowledging that gaps exist, and the unknown is how big the gaps are and what we’re comparing. Clearly, “what we’re comparing” is key. Looking at it from another angle, “what we shouldn’t compare” is easier to answer—innate conditions like family background and geographic location aren’t worth comparing. As for talent, some believe it’s an inborn advantage, but I prefer to think of it as potential that’s excavated later in life. And luck? That’s somewhat metaphysical; I see it more as the spark created when effort collides with opportunity. Setting these aside, what remains worth comparing are: “thinking patterns, cognition, and execution ability.”

So, the question can be rephrased as: “Where do the gaps in thinking patterns, cognition, and execution ability between people lie?”

Breaking it down this far, the answer seems hidden within the question, but we haven’t reached the bottom yet. Do you truly understand what thinking patterns are? What does cognition refer to? How is execution ability guaranteed? In my view, thinking patterns are habits for processing information, cognition is the clear definition of concepts, and execution ability is the capacity to implement ideas. At the core of all these is our understanding of concepts.

For example, how do you view “assets” and “capital”? If you consider a house an “asset,” you might tend to hold onto it, seeing it as representative of wealth. But if you view it as “capital,” you might consider renting it out or using it as collateral for loans to reinvest, potentially resulting in completely different rates of wealth growth. Different understandings influence your thinking patterns and ultimately determine your actions.

Think about it: don’t those high achievers have more concepts in their minds than you do? Aren’t their understandings of concepts more profound? Aren’t they better at distinguishing between concepts? Aren’t they several times more efficient at processing information?

Understanding concepts determines the quality of thinking; the quality of thinking drives the results of action. Fortunately, in recent years, with the help of large language models, I’ve been able to transform the fuzzy ideas in my head into clear logic, only to discover that the source of these gaps points to a larger field—“cognitive psychology.”

More than a decade ago, at 30, I was still puzzled: why couldn’t I catch up with those “outstanding individuals” despite my efforts? Over the years, I’ve continuously broken down the problem, moving from thinking to cognition to action, step by step approaching the answer. Perhaps the real gap isn’t in how much we do, but in how we think and understand the world. The road ahead is still long, and I’ll continue exploring this path. What about you? Would you like to join me in finding your own answer?

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