I think this has very much to do with culture, and very little to do with 'science'. As a scientist, I've been in institutions where this single-mindedness ten

I think this has very much to do with culture, and very little to do with 'science'. As a scientist, I've been in institutions where this single-mindedness tends to be the case. Currently I'm at an institution where this is far from the case. Each person here is a whole person. Each person here is an award-winning scientist, a family person, and excellent at something else or two too. It breeds itself - and those who were not "well-rounded scientists" would not fit in here. When writing up my own resumes and applications, I wrote in a way designed to weed out those places that wouldn't revel in that well-roundedness. I did not 'pretend' to be something I was not - to do otherwise only invites disatisfaction. I knew my application wouldn't be accepted by people who were not themselves well-rounded - but I wouldn't be happy at those places anyway. There are singled-minded scientists, like there are single-minded <insert profession here>. There are well-rounded scientists like everyone else too. Cultures breed one and another. Likely you'll enjoy work and life most if you find the culture that fits you. Further, I also don't think it's particularly correlated with talent in the field either. There are both fantastic and crappy institutions with very different cultures, ethics and expectations.