I want to be a generalist. A jack of all trades (master of none, goes the saying, though I don't *oppose* being a master of some).
I wasn't always like this. In my teens I was certain that strict specialization is more efficient than attaining lots of general knowledge. And so I missed much of what I could have learned in *lukio*. It might even be more efficient in very specific circumstances, but later I learned no one gets to be just a specialist in practice.
And so I've slowly learned to love general knowledge and learning and having lots of different skills, even if I'm not especially skilled or smart in any specific thing. I used to think I have no hobbies because I wasn't excellent at anything. Now I think I have lots of hobbies, and I'm on a beginner level at most of them.
Of course my profession plays a part in these ponderings. I first tried to avoid a career in programming because I knew everything would develop so fast I'd need to be constantly learning new things just to stay professional. I did study engineering physics for a while, but there I realized I'm dumber than some of these kids and I'd always be struggling to have work. I guess there are no stable jobs for average people these days. Oh well.
But once I reconsidered programming as a career choice and let my inner nerd take over, I was actually happy to try to learn the ins and outs of *everything* related to computing. I hope to have a surface understanding of the most important areas in a decade or two from now. It's a fun but slow journey.
Against this background it's not surprising this one quote left me thinking.
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, analyse a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.
— Robert Heinlein, Time Enough for Love
The quote is thrown around when generalism (or polymathy) is discussed, and is apparently said by a character in a sci-fi novel. Maybe I should read Heinlein, but that's not the point here. The list is somewhat arbitrary, but it both made me think about my own qualifications and how I would alter the list.
So here's my skillset. This is probably boring and self-absorbed, but I expect to have lost readers by now anyway. :D
[ ] no
[/] sorta
[x] yes
In my best year I changed over a thousand.
Uh, nope. I won't plan and I won't partake.
Rather an elk considering my surroundings, but this would be a good skill. And it's important to know where food comes from. I can gut fish, but that's easier.
I've helped design the structural parts of an extension, though.
Can't be that hard to write a (bad) sonnet. I've written poems and songs.
I've fixed a brick wall with a hole in the middle (don't ask).
Not sure I about *comforting*, but I've spent time with the dying.
I've had military training.
All critical to being a programmer, IMHO.
I don't expect it to be difficult or especially eye-opening. Programming Java ought to be similar.
Cooking well IMHO requires both experience and a good mental model of how different things affect the food. It's actually very complicated if you try to explain every detail and that's why cookbooks are not thorough. Cooking is akin to classical master-apprentice crafts. *But* we all need food everyday so cooking is not a skill only for specialized masters. And simple recipes can only be failed in a couple of ways, so trial and error gets you far.
I've had military training, but I do not think a person should be able to fight at all. This world makes me sad.
I don't care whether I die a hero or a coward.
I think the list left out entire categories of important skills. Here are some suggestions.
Bread is central to our civilization. We probably won't return to a time where everyone bakes their own bread, yet all my grandparents did.
I'm not an experienced baker. I've baked yeast-fermented bread a couple of times as a teen. Yesterday and today we made sourdough rye bread with my kids and father (who is a hobbyist).
Shoutouts to breadpunk.club! I'll consider joining if I bake again!
Again, I hope I can always rely on modern logistics. But farming isn't difficult to learn and is a nice hobby if you have a backyard.
As long as I have dry wood, matches, tinder and kindling. Would be great to be able to do it with less.
It is the way one treats his inferiors more than the way he treats his equals which reveals one’s real character.
—Rev. Charles Bayard Miliken
We've all been children. The children of today are tomorrow our leaders. To treat children with respect on their terms is demanding but both respectable and rewarding.
You learn as you go and only know how well it went in hindsight. The most important skill of them all, but requires plenty of other skills.
Again, you only know in the end. We've been married for ten years now.
I'd absolutely love to be able to, but I'm riding too hard for too short distances. Only cycling is relevant for me. Someone might be able to walk the distance.
The alternative is to throw perfectly good stuff away or pay a lot, so a no-brainer. Mechanical devices are the low-hanging fruit. Other repair skills are useful, too.
The hardest part is *knowing* what you want.
Hint: it won't make you happy.
Because you need to make a living somehow.
This is impossible to do accurately, but just remembering that your job might not be needed forever gets you far.
The earlier you realize what's going on, the easier the issues are to overcome. Mental health issues are significantly more common than they were decades ago, for many reasons, and I see no reason to believe this trend will stop.
Really useful -- oh, wait. I just wish there were more Finnish cryptic crossword composers (and solvers).
I think it's good to know your mother tongue really well.
Why? Why not.
Either that, or be doomed to be wrong.
Either that, or be doomed to be an asshole.
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And here's an apology for a long, weird post. I think I had a couple of good points but hid them well amid cruft. If you got this far, big thanks for reading!