I have a vivid memory of sitting at a dinner table when I was about six years old. It was a long enough dinner that I was allowed to bring my Gameboy and play pokemon during the event.
I had just started playing and I was stuck on a part. Fortunately the kid next to me, a slightly older boy who had been playing pokemon for longer, knew how to get past this obstacle. But he refused to tell me.
My six year old self was frustrated. I just wanted to advance in the game. I just wanted to win. And this boy was acting as a gatekeeper. He held knowledge that he refused to share.
Two things stand out to me about this memory.
One, this would probably not happen now. Back in 2001, I had few ways to hop on google, and look up my question. Now, nearly everyone has easy access to the internet, and the internet is more developed to better help users.
Two, what was the point of not sharing the information? It was fueled by a weird, scarcity mindset belief that me not winning at Pokemon made his winning better. He felt cool knowing he knew more than me. This certainly would still happen now across countless domains, but it shouldn’t. We live in world where helping people is the new currency. Information is abundant and potential is limitless. Don’t hold back your gifts. Share them with the world. Energy is not scarce, we just need a spark.