I’m No Expert

Jack of all trades, Master of none.

Today, there seem to be very few “jacks” compared to “masters”. That should be a good thing, right? The current cultural trend is to seek out highly specialized training to become an expert in your field. Western education, which used to be broad and liberal (that is, an education designed for a free person), has become narrow earlier and earlier, sometimes even in high school. There weren’t even college majors as we know them until the 19^th century, and then they were very limited. Today, the university in my hometown currently offers 700 different courses of study…700! That’s a lot of specialization.

The push for specialized training isn’t limited to formal education though. Once, I had a student in my 3^rd grade class who was on the team for his age sponsored by a professional competitive soccer team. They were already trying to recruit and develop talent that wouldn’t be mature for more than a decade! No wonder many parents feel pressure to set kids on a specific sports track early to make them more competitive down the road, especially if there is a family history of competitive sports.

What if this specialization isn’t as helpful as we think it is? Studies show that athletes who do not specialize in a specific sport often perform better athletes than those who do. There is also evidence that people who exercise in a variety of ways are less likely to injure themselves than someone who has a rigid, limited exercise routine (like limiting themselves to one specialized sport and range of motion).

Here’s a practical, hypothetical example. If I go to a doctor for a specific medical problem, it makes sense that I seek an expert in that area. I might feel more comfortable with their extensive knowledge in this one area. However, there is also value in going to a general practitioner, at least initially. While an expert in one area has gone far in that area specifically, a more general doctor, while trying to diagnose one problem, might notice a problem in a different area because their experience is broader. They may be aware of other possible causes with similar symptoms. Going to a more general doctor could be really helpful depending on the situation!

The principle of liberality also applies to art. Artists also may be tempted to specialize in a specific medium or genre to carve out a niche for themselves. Yet many of the great artists in history followed a classical ideal of embracing many forms of art. Leonard DaVinci and Michaelangelo are classic examples of Renaissance men, embracing classical ideals and pursuing many mediums and interests. Shakespeare wrote both plays and poetry. William Morris wrote poetry and prose, made textiles, tiles, stained glass, tapestry, wood engravings, etc. C.S. Lewis wrote fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.

Students who are broader in their degree choice (or have a more liberal, less specialized degree) show better flexibility and better wholistic, big picture thinking. Having work experience and interests in multiple areas can be a bonus, not a drag in business. This video talks about predicting a career hot streak (about 1 hour 17 minutes in). A career hot streak first requires a period of going broad and saying yes to a lot of things, then going narrow. Going broad in your 20s and 30s is a really good thing! If you start too narrow, you’re going to limit your success.

Wendell Berry (author, environmental activist and farmer) was concerned about agricultural specialists who focused on efficiency of production without consideration for environmental or cultural impact. “Specialization, a result of our nearly exclusive concern with the form of exploitation that we call efficiency, has in its turn become a destructive force…That specialization has vastly increased our knowledge, as its defenders claim, cannot be disputed. But I think that one might reasonably dispute the underlying assumption that knowledge per se, undisciplined knowledge, is good. For while specialization has increased knowledge, it has fragmented it.” Is it possible that specialization may not only be unhelpful when carried to a certain extent, but even harmful in some cases?

Perhaps the old phrase, “Jack of all trades, master of none,” need not be negative. In fact, it wasn’t always negative. The “master of none” was probably added later. It’s possible that a variant of “Jack of all trades” was the first reference in print to William Shakespeare in 1592. If it was meant dismissively, who’s laughing now?

It is not a waste of time to pursue various interests, skills, and possibilities. It will not hinder your long-term success if you don’t jump on a specialization track. Of course, you don’t have to take it from me. I’m no expert.  

Photo by Kimberly Farmer on Unsplash