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This reads like something from Robert A. Heinlein's Lazarus Long character. "A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog,
by drdeadringer 5y ago
This reads like something from Robert A. Heinlein's Lazarus Long character.
"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."
- H8crilA 5y agoI can assure you that the list is accurate (as in - that's all useful stuff) and not that hard to be at least decent at.
- underdeserver 5y agoPlan invasions frequently, do you?
- H8crilA 5y agoLook, in most corps you can shelter for a really long time at the lowest non up-or-out position. In fact to some degree that's the safest level to stay at, though the worst paid one. It's totally fine with everyone.
- chaps 5y agoBecome decent at an RTS and you can cross this one off the list pretty easily :)
- ant6n 5y agoOr civilization (RTS? pshah).
- Tomis02 5y agoWithout specialization you sometimes end up reinventing the wheel, poorly. Like, a page of Python code instead of 5 lines of SQL.
- kulig 5y agoSure, but if a great world war happens and half the world gets destroyed, those sql skills are now useless.
- pjmlp 5y agoAs someone pointed out on a podcast I listed yesterday, wheels get reinvented all the time, as not every whell fits all travel purposes equally well. :)
- drdeadringer 5y agoI see and understand your point. For conversation, I offer this image as to why reinventing the wheel may be necessary: https://res.cloudinary.com/practicaldev/image/fetch/s--X_6jMzJ8--/c_limit%2Cf_auto%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto%2Cw_880/https://thepracticaldev.s3.amazonaws.com/i/dhedtiyp62p692m59ojy.jpg https://res.cloudinary.com/practicaldev/image/fetch/s--X_6jM...
- Pelic4n 5y agoThis is a quote I stumbled more than 10 years ago and that stuck with me since. Then I read Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations, where he unequivocally explains how skill/job specialization is simply a product of demography. I still agree with the sentiment of Heinlein as a personal ethic, but I have made my peace with specialization. In the last few centuries, we have reached a critical mass of scientific and technical knowledge where any further advances require a tremendous amount of specialization. There's no way or point in fighting tthat.
- bigbillheck 5y agoInsects are one of the most successful kinds of creature on the planet.
- drdeadringer 5y agoI understand your point. I am wondering how humans may or may not understand this point regarding their self-described "life's purpose". Legit wondering upon myself.