Ever worried you have too many interests? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maybe you feel like you don\u2019t have enough time for your varied projects and hobbies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Or perhaps you just bought into the cultural cliche that a jack of all trades masters none.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Either way, there\u2019s a new renaissance underway, evangelising the benefits of polymathy versus the pursuit of hyper-specialisation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So let\u2019s dive in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Merriam-Webster defines a polymath as,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA person of encyclopedic learning.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n That might sound like a daunting description of capabilities needed to make the grade. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But knowing a little about a lot still counts, and can take us deeper into the realms of human knowledge than most are willing to dive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I think it\u2019s safe to say that I\u2019ve never been a polymath, at least not a successful one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But like many humans, I have leanings in that direction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s something rather romantic about being able to wrestle a bear, build a shelter and write a novel, without breaking a sweat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The closest I\u2019ve come to such cross-disciplinary proficiency may be with different sports which admittedly, still fall under the same umbrella of physical exercise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I remember a point when I was younger and having to decide whether to go all-in on tennis or play various sports in their respective seasons. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After much deliberation, I chose the latter, because I enjoy variety. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, undoubtedly, this decision had implications for my tennis achievements but looking back, I don\u2019t regret the decision. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This article is as much for me as it is for you dear reader. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In my desire to develop more of a beginner\u2019s mindset, learn new skills and explore other areas of interest, I thought I’d learn more about the dark art of polymathy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So if being a polymath is so good, why does society celebrate the hyper-specialised? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, I feel there are two main factors, both on more of a market level that’s filtered down into individual approaches to work and leisure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The first has its roots in the industrial revolution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Throughout history, renaissance men were fairly ubiquitous, Leonardo Da Vinci said to be as proud of his ability to bend iron bars as painting the Mona Lisa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, for factory owners, such disparate skills weren\u2019t of much use. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Adam Smith school of economics was all about output, with business magnates realising they could maximise returns by distilling the manufacturing process down to its components, to be fulfilled by specialists. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While knowledge work doesn\u2019t lend itself to such repetitive tasks, physical work, however one-focused, can be endured due to flow mind state it creates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The second factor centres around human psychology. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Who would you prefer to see for your all-important heart surgery – a surgeon who operates on every human appendage, or a specialist who\u2019s spent his whole career researching, analysing and healing hearts? Exactly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Consumers seek those who can best solve their problem, and invariably this is the people who speak most clearly to our particular need. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The old marketing aphorism comes into play here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n “By being everything to everyone you’re nothing to anyone”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n You see this routinely with new businesses, which aim to bite off a small piece of the market pie by focusing on a narrow market segment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n On the flipside, you just have to enter a restaurant with laminated menus, selling everything from pizza to curry, to know that the quality of food may be questionable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And let\u2019s face it, the results from these approaches is pretty good when concerned with pure output. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The factory worker who\u2019s specialised in widgets his whole life will likely churn out more than his multi-tasking counterpart. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And the business that goes niche and targets a specific market segment will undoubtedly carve a profitable area for themselves, as opposed to the business that tries to do it all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But there are some pretty big pitfalls of going hyper specialist, as we shall now cover. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As we specialise and become masters of a single craft, it can be hard to change as the field evolves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019ve all observed the old professor trope, doggedly defending their territory when a young upstart tries to instigate change. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As we achieve mastery in one field, it becomes tempting to resist advancement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The beginner\u2019s mindset is easily forgotten and the necessity of further learning disregarded. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When we\u2019re so focussed on our prized domain to the exclusion of all else, it\u2019s far harder to generate new ideas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to limited exposure, we simply don\u2019t possess the ability to pollinate bold ideas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some of the most notable innovations have been created by polymaths combining principles at the cross-section of seemingly divergent disciplines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Take Richard Feynman, who only deduced his Nobel Prize-winning theory by spinning a plate on his finger. <\/p>\n\n\n\n He was also an expert safecracker and accomplished artist. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Indeed, whole new fields of study have emerged due to combining different elements of knowledge in unusual ways. When you specialise, it\u2019s much harder to compete, especially in a word class cadre. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Going up against other specialists means you have to be at the top of your game, which, unless you\u2019re extremely gifted, is very hard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Being a polymath provides unique opportunities…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Scott Adams, the creator of the wildly successful comic, Dilbert says you have two options:<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. Become the best at one specific thing. While the first strategy is nigh-on impossible, he says, the second is relatively straightforward,<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Everyone has at least a few areas in which they could be in the top 25% with some effort. In my case, I can draw better than most people, but I\u2019m hardly an artist. And I\u2019m not any funnier than the average standup comedian who never makes it big, but I\u2019m funnier than most people. The magic is that few people can draw well and write jokes. It\u2019s the combination of the two that makes what I do so rare.<\/em>“<\/p>\n\n\n\n Such opportunities exist everywhere. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What seemingly unrelated talents could you combine that provide leverage in your own life? <\/p>\n\n\n\n There’s one inescapable fact – technology is advancing apace, progress largely facilitated due to the replacement of specialists with their more efficient machine counterparts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just look at the factory floor, where you have hyper specialised machines doing one job, all day every day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As soon as that technology becomes cheaper, safer and more productive than meat, bye-bye humans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Machine learning and AI is not quite at the level where it can fulfil cross-disciplinary functions, so by embracing the polymath philosophy, we can look to future proof ourselves (for the time being at least).<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are many benefits to being an autodidact. Let’s take a look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Knowing that you can learn anything provides a huge boost of self-confidence. Carol Dweck, the celebrated psychologist, calls this the Growth Mindset. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When you realise you have the ability to master any topic, given the inclination, it provides a tremendous sense of power and control of your future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So many people blame their external circumstances for their life situation, aspersions which are rooted in fear. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When you become responsive enough to learn about a new field and apply that learning to your existing skill set, you become extremely agile, flexible enough to adapt to any new situation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If your job is suddenly in jeopardy, you have other skills and areas of interest to fall back on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Becoming an expert in one thing feels good, but what happens when you reach the top of the mountain? <\/p>\n\n\n\n You become bored and discontent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Humans are wired for novelty and to engage with changing states. It\u2019s not really the summit we enjoy, but the journey. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To develop that same zest and enthusiasm, we must pick another mountain to climb. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Achieving mastery in one subject and being a monopath in our pursuits can make us boring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Imagine going to a dinner party and sitting next to someone who\u2019s only interested in cell biology. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Unless you have a particular attraction towards the subject yourself, it’ll be a long night! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Conversely, sitting beside someone with numerous interests and expertise means the conversation can flow in many directions and intersect with your own interests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Being willing to learn new things can naturally push us towards new and novel situations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you develop a keen interest in a particular language, for example, it might encourage you to live in that country for extra immersion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Perhaps you\u2019re interested in stand up comedy, which motivates you to do some local gigs. All good story material of a life well-lived. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In order to become a proficient polymath, it all starts with curiosity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n On the surface, this might seem pretty damn obvious, but it\u2019s surprising how we forget this childhood-like state as we pursue external rewards on the treadmill of life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The subject you pick to learn can come from a general interest or an area of learning that would contribute to existing skills or knowledge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t preclude the general interest route. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Often it\u2019s better to start here, rather than forcing yourself to learn something you think you should. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re interested in woodwork, simply read a few blog articles or pick up a book. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Want to know more about coding? Download an app and write a few lines. It doesn\u2019t have to be complicated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Okay, I\u2019m putting this at the start, because it\u2019s pretty mind-blowing how this seemingly universal law can also be applied to skill acquisition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Pareto Principle states that 20% of inputs are responsible for 80% of outputs and vice versa, a heuristic visible over a diaspora of disciplines, from agriculture to tech and now polymathy! <\/p>\n\n\n\nMy story <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Specialising<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The specialist problems<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Change<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Innovation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\nIt’s tough at the top<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Become very good (top 25%) at two or more things.<\/p>\n\n\n\nTechnology<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Benefits of being a polymath<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Power<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Adaptability<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Engagement<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Interest<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Excitement<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How do you become a polymath? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Pareto Principle<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n