Re:Why the world needs deep generalists, not specialists
by mygo on Monday November 19, 2018 @02:14AM
(#18484652)
> No, it's because the thing you're talking about is a "genius" not a "generalist."
I would disagree. A polymath is an expert / master of multiple fields (let’s say 3 or more). A genius does not necessarily excel in multiple fields, but he will certainly produce novel, groundbreaking contributions to a specific field. A genius tends to be a specialist — at least where his major contributions and legacy lies.
A generalist is not necessarily an expert or master of any field. He could just know enough in each field to be competent. So I think we’re talking about 3 different people: geniuses, generalists, and polymaths.
Anyone with a liberal arts degree can operate as a generalist. Leonardo Da Vinci and Ben Franklin were polymaths. Einstein and Feynman had genius.
I would disagree. A polymath is an expert / master of multiple fields (let’s say 3 or more). A genius does not necessarily excel in multiple fields, but he will certainly produce novel, groundbreaking contributions to a specific field. A genius tends to be a specialist — at least where his major contributions and legacy lies.
A generalist is not necessarily an expert or master of any field. He could just know enough in each field to be competent. So I think we’re talking about 3 different people: geniuses, generalists, and polymaths.
Anyone with a liberal arts degree can operate as a generalist. Leonardo Da Vinci and Ben Franklin were polymaths. Einstein and Feynman had genius.