I'd rather do a lot of things well.
However, I don't do very much and I suck at those few things...
However, I don't do very much and I suck at those few things...
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Re: Good at many or Great at one... [ajthomas]
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Re: Good at many or Great at one... [ajthomas]
[ In reply to ]
I am #1.
I'm a good and reasonably natural athlete at a lot of sports - but not exceptional.
I picked up music pretty quickly when I was younger.
Suffered with low grades in high school, but excelled in college when hard work started to trump natural test taking ability. I would say I am of above average intelligence, but again, not brilliant and sometimes lacking that "big picture" forethought that many very successful people have.
Friends say I would be good at jeopardy, as I know a little bit about a lot of things.
For me, I think it boils down to having a very strong work ethic, inquisitive nature, and only moderate attention span. I'm also a reasonably anxious person, and learning new skills helps to soothe that constant need to be fidgeting or doing things. When I start to get pretty good at something, I generally look for a new challenge with a steep learning curve.
I have a few friends who fit the description of #2. In my mind, their lives aren't terribly balanced. Most of them suffered through failed relationships, personal problems, etc stemming from their obsessions. While it is great that they are able to focus themselves on one thing to the degree to which they do, it's just not for me. I don't think I'm physically wired right to be able to achieve that type of focus.
Long Chile was a silly place.
I'm a good and reasonably natural athlete at a lot of sports - but not exceptional.
I picked up music pretty quickly when I was younger.
Suffered with low grades in high school, but excelled in college when hard work started to trump natural test taking ability. I would say I am of above average intelligence, but again, not brilliant and sometimes lacking that "big picture" forethought that many very successful people have.
Friends say I would be good at jeopardy, as I know a little bit about a lot of things.
For me, I think it boils down to having a very strong work ethic, inquisitive nature, and only moderate attention span. I'm also a reasonably anxious person, and learning new skills helps to soothe that constant need to be fidgeting or doing things. When I start to get pretty good at something, I generally look for a new challenge with a steep learning curve.
I have a few friends who fit the description of #2. In my mind, their lives aren't terribly balanced. Most of them suffered through failed relationships, personal problems, etc stemming from their obsessions. While it is great that they are able to focus themselves on one thing to the degree to which they do, it's just not for me. I don't think I'm physically wired right to be able to achieve that type of focus.
Long Chile was a silly place.
Re: Good at many or Great at one... [ajthomas]
[ In reply to ]
Be yourself you are uniquely qualified for the job. If you are really passionate about something fill your boots. Myself I like to do alot of different things. I keep saltwater fish (nemo!), Grow a few orchids, do triathlons, do some cooking like to do some gardening plus my job.
They constantly try to escape from the darkness outside and within
Dreaming of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good T.S. Eliot
They constantly try to escape from the darkness outside and within
Dreaming of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good T.S. Eliot
Re: Good at many or Great at one... [ajthomas]
[ In reply to ]
well...the ladies have told me I'm pretty much the gold standard in the bedroom
Re: Good at many or Great at one... [Travis R]
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Travis R wrote:
That is an absolutely beautiful answer.Isn't it.
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#WeAreTheForge #BlackGunsMatter
"Look, will you guys at leats accept that you are a bunch of dumb asses and just trust me on this one? Please?" BarryP 7/30/2012
Re: Good at many or Great at one... [ajthomas]
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ajthomas wrote:
You aren't the only one who interpreted it this way, so it is totally on me, but I didn't mean the question so literally. I meant would you rather be the foremost authority at whatever it is YOU do but have little else "going for you," or be a Jack of many trades...
If I was the foremost authority at what I did everyone on here could come to my private Caribbean Island on my private A380 and stay in the guest houses (except for my favorite commie, I'd get him some tin and palm fronds so he could have the Cuban peasant experience and when he caved upgrade him to the main house). With all of my free time I'm sure I could pick up some hobby of some kind.
Re: Good at many or Great at one... [Endo]
[ In reply to ]
Endo wrote:
I don't think the OP is asking which of the actual two people he listed you'd rather be. I'm sure the question is a philosophical one in general terms: If you could choose to be good at a bunch of stuff or really great at one thing, which would you choose?
If I had to guess, I would think on average option 1 would bring a person more general happiness on a day to day basis in life. I can't back it up, just my feeling on it. So I'd go with #1.
.
That was how interpreted too.
I would rather be real good at a variety of things I was interested in, rather than the very top of just one. I think of Roger Federer, who I'm sure is good at a lot more than tennis, same for the guy mentioned in the OP. While the money would be nice, I'm sure the lack of privacy, not being able to go out without security would be a negative.
************************
#WeAreTheForge #BlackGunsMatter
"Look, will you guys at leats accept that you are a bunch of dumb asses and just trust me on this one? Please?" BarryP 7/30/2012
Re: Good at many or Great at one... [wimsey]
[ In reply to ]
wimsey wrote:
BLeP wrote:
I would rather be me. I can't run a marathon, don't play music, suck at photography and am not a Nobel Laureate.
I have a wife and a son that I love and one on the way.
I wouldn't trade it for anything.
Cool, man - congratulations. If memory serves, there was a time a while back when that didn't sound like it was in the cards and it sounded like a downer for you and the missus. Glad to hear things are looking up.
Thanks. It's been a long road to child #2. Way longer than expected. And not the road we expected to take at all.
How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?
Re: Good at many or Great at one... [SkipG]
[ In reply to ]
SkipG wrote:
well...the ladies have told me I'm pretty much the gold standard in the bedroomThat is an absolutely beautiful answer.
i've always been more interested at being good at many. i think it's about having a sort of restless mind, and about not liking compromise - i want to do it all.
i'd rather be john paul jones than jimmy page, for instance, because i like the idea of picking up 5 instruments and being pretty good rather than 1 and being epic.
i guess it's a bit odd that i'm a PhD, since in academia laser-like focus generally gets rewarded over dabbling. in my defense my doctorate's in anthropology, which is about as jack-of-all-trades as it gets.
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https://lshtm.academia.edu/MikeCallaghan
http://howtobeswiss.blogspot.ch/
i'd rather be john paul jones than jimmy page, for instance, because i like the idea of picking up 5 instruments and being pretty good rather than 1 and being epic.
i guess it's a bit odd that i'm a PhD, since in academia laser-like focus generally gets rewarded over dabbling. in my defense my doctorate's in anthropology, which is about as jack-of-all-trades as it gets.
____________________________________
https://lshtm.academia.edu/MikeCallaghan
http://howtobeswiss.blogspot.ch/