The Polymath Playbook • Hacker News Board

Re: The Polymath Playbook

#51

Post by merlinsbrain » Sun, Jul 12, 2020, 4:13 PM UTC

geocrasher wrote: post #11

There's a site called https://puttylike.com/ that calls it a "multipotentialite" and in the gal's Ted talk she makes us out to be victims. That, I don't like- but I do like the premise of most of what she's saying otherwise. Being a generalist only means you get to explore whatever's fancy today, and because you've defined yourself as eternally undefined, nobody generally cares.

If Wapnick’s work resonates with you, you might enjoy Barbara Sher’s Refuse to Choose. [0]

Sher is the author who “coined“ the “scanner” term.

[0] https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/287818.Refuse_to_Choose_

Re: The Polymath Playbook

#52

Post by geocrasher » Sun, Jul 12, 2020, 4:23 PM UTC

em-bee wrote: post #19

geocrasher wrote: post #11

There's a site called https://puttylike.com/ that calls it a "multipotentialite" and in the gal's Ted talk she makes us out to be victims. That, I don't like- but I do like the premise of most of what she's saying otherwise. Being a generalist only means you get to explore whatever's fancy today, and because you've defined yourself as eternally undefined, nobody generally cares.

victims of what?

Victims of "the system" that prefers specialization.

Re: The Polymath Playbook

#53

Post by em-bee » Sun, Jul 12, 2020, 4:43 PM UTC

croissants wrote: post #36

Icathian wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Strongly agree. I've been vegetarian for years, the only exception I'll make is if I go hunting with my family. If you aren't willing to kill it and clean it yourself, at least once in a while, you should probably stick to salad.

> If you aren't willing to kill it and clean it yourself, at least once in a while, you should probably stick to salad. Why? Is the idea that meat has a unique ethical component that a consumer must grapple with up close by killing and butchering? There seem to be many items we consume that have complicated and unethical production processes, but nobody goes around telling people they need to make their own cell phon…

you have a point, but actually we should. not so much build your own phone but at least understand how it, and anything else is produced, where the materials come from, the environmental and other damage the production causes, how the profit is distributed (how much are those miners earning?) etc.

for food those are actually more well known, and we are starting to care about that more, but the demand for eggs from cage free hens is really not much different than a demand for better working conditions for factory workers, or for environmental friendly production processes

Re: The Polymath Playbook

#54

Post by rubidium » Sun, Jul 12, 2020, 6:10 PM UTC

trentnix wrote: post #5

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, Ti…

17/22 at 35 years old. Hope to not have to fight in a war or set a bone, and I’d rather die peacefully.

But game to grow :)

Re: The Polymath Playbook

#55

Post by albatross » Sun, Jul 12, 2020, 6:17 PM UTC

I have been a generalist my whole life, and have struggled significantly to translate this into a meaningful career. I have thrived in interdisciplinary roles, but have always found myself carving them out once I have forced my way through the door in a more specialized role.

Is it simply a disconnect between the hiring process and these sorts of skillsets that is causing this issue, or something else?

I worked at a 3D printing startup and found myself liasing between hardware, software, and materials teams (and sales... and marketing... and...) and was the happiest I have been professionally at that time. I don't know where to look for roles similar to this. Do they even exist?

Any advice?

Re: The Polymath Playbook

#56

Post by em-bee » Sun, Jul 12, 2020, 6:26 PM UTC

oblio wrote: post #45

dgb23 wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> but nobody goes around telling people they need to make their own cell phone or t shirt at least once in a while Maybe we should.

Please get started, especially for the cell phone. I'll wait :-) But do it from first principles, I want to see ore mining going on :-D

the fairphone is at least tracking where their ore comes from

Re: The Polymath Playbook

#57

Post by vsskanth » Sun, Jul 12, 2020, 6:30 PM UTC

albatross wrote: post #55

I have been a generalist my whole life, and have struggled significantly to translate this into a meaningful career. I have thrived in interdisciplinary roles, but have always found myself carving them out once I have forced my way through the door in a more specialized role. Is it simply a disconnect between the hiring process and these sorts of skillsets that is causing this issue, or something else? I worked at a…

Have you tried looking for Project/Program manager roles, maybe even DoD ? They usually are a good fit for people with your skills

Re: The Polymath Playbook

#58

Post by downrightmike » Sun, Jul 12, 2020, 6:40 PM UTC

trentnix wrote: post #5

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, Ti…

Yes, the ideal Captain Kirk was modeled on. Too bad Heinlein was a horrible, horrible person.

Re: The Polymath Playbook

#59

Post by motteboss » Sun, Jul 12, 2020, 6:40 PM UTC

I've always thought of myself as an 80 percenter. I like to throw myself passionately into a sport or activity until I reach about an 80 percent proficiency level. To go beyond that requires an obsession that doesn't appeal to me. Once I reach 80 percent level I like to go off and do something totally different; that probably explains the diversity of the Patagonia product like - and why our versatile, multifaceted clothes are the most successful. -Yvon Chouinard

Re: The Polymath Playbook

#60

Post by Izkata » Sun, Jul 12, 2020, 6:43 PM UTC

_nalply wrote: post #24

Attention: Nerd Snipe. The Ikigai graph should be painted on a torus because we need to see two additional intersections. Let's try to name them: - What you LOVE and What you can be PAID FOR: Delightful Bullshit Job - What you are GOOD AT and What the world NEEDS: Useful Self-Sacrifice Or do you have a better idea? And: how should we color them to have nice, meaningful shades of colors? Edit: Thanks for BlackFingolfi…

Out of curiosity I google image searched "ikigai torus" to see if anyone had made one, and got a few distinct things: A 3-circle shape being sold as jewelry that claimed to represent the concept, it being used as magic/mantra on new-agey sites, and one that straight claims that this diagram is a misrepresentation of the concept (but is also selling a workbook).

Now I can't help but wonder if this is one of those "those silly westerners" things, akin to gibberish or insulting Japanese/Chinese words as tattoos.