Re:What concept would improve everybody's cognitive toolkit?...
by motohagiography on Monday April 06, 2020 @10:35PM
(#22799869)
The main difference between breadth first search, and depth first search is that it is applicable to different types of problems.
It's great to master something, but depth first thinkers also tend to be content with the external peer recognition of their narrow niche, without challenging it or moving it forward. It's a lot like fox/hedgehog and other tropes. So to use breadth as a euphemism for charlatanism is a bit tendentious. From what I can tell, the main indicator of being a charlatan is losing political battles.
I saw the guy on Rogan and I sympathize with the challenge of having both the breadth and depth to wade into that band of status anxiety where mediocre talents feel threatened by cross disciplinary thinkers focused on a bigger picture. They can behave like an immune response and pile on, so it's a hard spot to be in.
Couldn't say whether he was or wasn't, but to be sure, depth-first thinking has equivalent limits.
It's great to master something, but depth first thinkers also tend to be content with the external peer recognition of their narrow niche, without challenging it or moving it forward. It's a lot like fox/hedgehog and other tropes. So to use breadth as a euphemism for charlatanism is a bit tendentious. From what I can tell, the main indicator of being a charlatan is losing political battles.
I saw the guy on Rogan and I sympathize with the challenge of having both the breadth and depth to wade into that band of status anxiety where mediocre talents feel threatened by cross disciplinary thinkers focused on a bigger picture. They can behave like an immune response and pile on, so it's a hard spot to be in.
Couldn't say whether he was or wasn't, but to be sure, depth-first thinking has equivalent limits.