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Thank you for this comment, I've forwarded it to some new parents in my life. It reminds me of this quote from Heinlein: “A human being should be able to cha

Thank you for this comment, I've forwarded it to some new parents in my life. It reminds me of this quote from Heinlein: “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.”

ghostbrainalpha 8y ago
That's an amazing quote, and it will probably hold up for decades if not centuries.... except the "plan an invasion" part. Not sure how intrinsic that is to the nature of a balanced human life.
- CobrastanJorji 8y ago
  I loved that quote when I was a teenager, but over time I came to hate it. We can't master everything. We don't live long enough, and besides, the list of things to master grows superlinearly, which means mastering even one thing requires specialization. One should absolutely have a diverse set of skills and interest and knowledge, but it's also important to pick one or two things to truly master.
  - wrs 8y ago
    It doesn’t say to master all those things...in fact that’s the opposite of his point, which is to be reasonably competent at a lot of things rather than being helpless without a specialist around. Heinlein’s characters are (sometimes hilariously) self-sufficient, but respectful of true expertise.
    - Waterluvian 8y ago
      My perspective has been to be able to "speak the language". You may not be able to rebuild your engine, perform surgery, build your own PC, etc. But know enough that you can have a meaningful conversation with the experts.
wcunning 8y ago
There are a lot of skills in that list that I don't find essential, and a number that my personal list would add, but it's still one of my favorite quotes of all time. I might even call it the motto of my life.

ghostbrainalpha 8y ago

That's an amazing quote, and it will probably hold up for decades if not centuries.... except the "plan an invasion" part. Not sure how intrinsic that is to the nature of a balanced human life.

CobrastanJorji 8y ago
I loved that quote when I was a teenager, but over time I came to hate it. We can't master everything. We don't live long enough, and besides, the list of things to master grows superlinearly, which means mastering even one thing requires specialization. One should absolutely have a diverse set of skills and interest and knowledge, but it's also important to pick one or two things to truly master.
- wrs 8y ago
  It doesn’t say to master all those things...in fact that’s the opposite of his point, which is to be reasonably competent at a lot of things rather than being helpless without a specialist around. Heinlein’s characters are (sometimes hilariously) self-sufficient, but respectful of true expertise.
  - Waterluvian 8y ago
    My perspective has been to be able to "speak the language". You may not be able to rebuild your engine, perform surgery, build your own PC, etc. But know enough that you can have a meaningful conversation with the experts.

wcunning 8y ago

There are a lot of skills in that list that I don't find essential, and a number that my personal list would add, but it's still one of my favorite quotes of all time. I might even call it the motto of my life.