原文全文（英文）#

Agency > Intelligence

I had this intuitively wrong for decades, I think due to a pervasive cultural veneration of intelligence, various entertainment/media, obsession with IQ etc. Agency is significantly more powerful and significantly more scarce. Are you hiring for agency? Are we educating for agency? Are you acting as if you had 10X agency?

Grok explanation is ~close: “Agency, as a personality trait, refers to an individual’s capacity to take initiative, make decisions, and exert control over their actions and environment. It’s about being proactive rather than reactive—someone with high agency doesn’t just let life happen to them; they shape it. Think of it as a blend of self-efficacy, determination, and a sense of ownership over one’s path. People with strong agency tend to set goals and pursue them with confidence, even in the face of obstacles. They’re the type to say, ‘I’ll figure it out,’ and then actually do it. On the flip side, someone low in agency might feel more like a passenger in their own life, waiting for external forces—like luck, other people, or circumstances—to dictate what happens next. It’s not quite the same as assertiveness or ambition, though it can overlap. Agency is quieter, more internal—it’s the belief that you can act, paired with the will to follow through.”

— Garry Tan @garrytan: “Intelligence is on tap now so agency is even more important.”

中文翻译#

能动性 > 智力

几十年来我的直觉都是错的——我认为这是因为文化中普遍对智力的崇拜、各种娱乐/媒体对 IQ 的迷恋等。

能动性比智力要强大得多，也更加稀缺。

• 你在招聘时看重能动性吗？
• 我们的教育在培养能动性吗？
• 你的行为方式像是拥有 10 倍能动性的人吗？

Grok 的解释很接近：作为人格特质，能动性指的是一个人主动发起行动、做出决策并掌控自身行动和环境的能力。它关乎主动而不是被动——高能动性的人不会让生活发生在自己身上，而是去塑造它。它是自我效能感、决心和对自己道路主人翁意识的融合。高能动性的人即使在逆境中也能自信地设定并追求目标。他们会说”我来搞定”，然后真的去搞定。相反，低能动性的人更像是自己人生的乘客，等待外部力量（运气、他人、环境）来决定下一步。

Garry Tan（@garrytan） 评论：“智力现在随手可得，所以能动性更加重要。“

背景与解读#