“At some level, all humans are broad. We’re all multivariate/multifaceted, but we get summarized in pithy ways in our lives.” — Naval Ravikant
“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.” — Robert A. Heinlein
“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” — Thomas Huxley
Before you discover what you love: fewer commitments, more experiments. After you discover what you love: fewer experiments, more commitments.
The “generalist first, specialist later” Mindset
You should explore a range of pursuits early in your career and life, with that exploration leaving you better equipped for the exploitation phase when you go deeper on the arena that provides you with maximum leverage.
Polymath
- Renaissance Man
- Generalist > Specialist
- A person with wide-ranging, multi-disciplinary knowledge & skills
- 博學多聞的通才